In a move that has sparked controversy, the local government of San Francisco has decided to remove the historic "Appeal to Heaven" flag from its city hall, where it has been displayed for decades.
This decision coincides with the recent uproar over Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's display of the same flag at his vacation home.
The "Appeal to Heaven" flag, which was flown over ships commanded by George Washington, has been controversially linked to the 2021 "Stop the Steal" J6 rally in Washington DC. This connection was made due to the flag's presence among the crowd at the rally. Consequently, calls have been made for Justice Alito to recuse himself from any cases related to Donald Trump and the J6 rally. These demands were further fueled by an incident involving Alito's wife flying a US flag upside down following a dispute with a neighbor, and reports of the "Appeal to Heaven" flag being flown at Alito's vacation home.
The "Appeal to Heaven" flag was first hoisted at San Francisco's city hall in 1964 and was among the 18 original flags raised for Flag Day. Despite recent claims that the flag now symbolizes the J6 rally and the "far-right," it has remained at the city hall of the Democrat-led city for several years. Its removal only came about following the controversy surrounding its display at Alito's vacation home. A video circulating on social media highlighted the seeming contradiction of left-leaning politicians criticizing Alito's display of the flag while it was simultaneously flown in a Democrat-run city.
In a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle, city officials explained their decision to remove the flag, stating that it was originally symbolic of the quest for American independence" but has since been adopted by a different group one that doesnt represent the citys values.
In response to the calls for his recusal, Justice Alito issued a letter on Wednesday stating that he would not be recusing himself over the flag controversy. He wrote, "I was not familiar with the 'Appeal to Heaven' flag when my wife flew it. She may have mentioned that it dates back to the American Revolution, and I assumed she was flying it to express a religious and patriotic message. I was not aware of any connection between this historic flag and the 'Stop the Steal Movement,' and neither was my wife. She did not fly it to associate herself with that or any other group, and the use of an old historic flag by a new group does not necessarily drain that flag of all other meanings."
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