Theft of Burien’s Pride flags prompts police investigation
Jun 13, 2022, 5:56 AM
(Credit JJnSuz Greive via Youtube)
Dozens of flags — commemorating Pride month in downtown Burien — have disappeared. The Burien Police Department has labeled the missing flags as theft and is encouraging eyewitnesses to come forward.
The City of Burien has commemorated Pride Month with the flags for several years. Officially, they’re intended to mark the Stonewall Uprising — a New York Police raid of the Stonewall Inn, a Greenwich Village gay club, that prompted six days of protests and clashes with police in June of 1969.
We had 75 pride flags stolen from light poles in our downtown Main Street yesterday.
This kinda of hatred towards our LGBTQIA+ community will NOT be tolerated in Burien!
Please join me and donate what you can to @BurienPride so we can replace them ASAPhttps://t.co/q9yaTNxQOA https://t.co/0r5S0sFdTo pic.twitter.com/dyfp4mj8bp
— Hugo Garcia (@CMHugoGarcia) June 12, 2022
“This kind of hatred towards our LGBTQIA+ community will not be tolerated in Burien,” wrote Councilmember Hugo Garcia, sponsor of this year’s Pride month proclamation, in a statement “We will only double down our commitments to celebrating with bigger and better Pride events, displays, and flags.”
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“Burien is a place where we respect and support members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We continue to stand strong with all of you,” added Mayor Sofia Aragon.
75 Pride flags were stolen from Main Street between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Saturday morning, June 11, according to security camera surveillance footage of the incident.
Anyone with information about the theft is encouraged to call the Burien Police Department at (206) 296-3311.