Council waves goodbye to guest flagpole policy
It is a courtesy no more.
A narrow 5-4 vote Monday night by Prince Albert City Council ended the longstanding “courtesy flagpole” policy, a decision which stems in part from a lawsuit alleging a violation of freedom of expression.
Mayor Greg Dionne’s motion to strip several sections from the city’s Flag Protocol Policy was on council’s agenda again Monday night after it failed to gain leave at a prior meeting. The mayor’s motion aimed to remove sections 6.02b, 6.04a and c, 6.05 and 6.07 from the policy, all of which relate to guest flags flown in Memorial Square outside of city hall.
A lawsuit was brought forward by the Prince Albert Right to Life Association in November of 2017 seeking to have the court overturn the city’s decision banning the group’s controversial anti-abortion flag from flying on the guest pole. Annual past raisings of the flag have generated protests and made international news headlines, with many criticizing the city for allowing the flag to fly. The anti-abortion group’s flag depicts a smiling cartoon fetus accompanied by the slogan “please let me live.”