DANVERS, MASS. (WHDH) - The Danvers town manager said Tuesday that he has ordered the fire department to remove “thin blue line” flags from all vehicles because the symbol has “become a form of political speech.”
“The thin blue line flag means different things to different people, and it has long been an important symbol of support and solidarity for members of public safety departments and their families,” Town Manager Steve Bartha said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the symbol has also become a form of political speech in today’s social landscape that has the power to make marginalized members of our community feel unwelcome and unsafe, so this week I ordered them to be removed from Danvers fire apparatus.”
Bartha said he made the decision to order the removal of the flags after consulting with the town’s Chair of the Board of Selectmen and after speaking with the town’s police and fire chiefs.
“Danvers is a community that has long supported its police and fire departments, and we are fortunate to have some of the best-trained and best-equipped officers and firefighters in the Commonwealth,” Bartha said. “I understand that this decision may not be universally supported and that some may view the decision as lack of support for our public safety departments.”
Bartha added that the decision is intended to “reaffirm support and commitment” to the entire community.
In a statement posted to the firefighter’s union Facebook page, President Brian Barry said, “I was informed that the Town Manager received ONE complaint generically stating that they were offended by the “Blue Lives Matter” flags. The fact that the complaint referred to the “Thin Blue Line” as “Blue Lives Matter” flags is a clear sign that they are trying to make this political. It is not!”
He continued to say that Danvers firefighters have a longstanding history of serving their community without bias. Barry said the department had been displaying the flag for over two years before this.
“After much dialogue with the Manager it became crystal clear there was no changing his mind,”he wrote.
They are asking any member of the public who wishes to fly the flags in support of law enforcement to contact them.
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