Pride flag burned at Pacifica school being investigated as a hate crime
The burning of an LGBTQ Pride flag at an elementary school in Pacifica earlier this month is bringing community members together Tuesday — June 28 — for a unity event to demonstrate what organizers are calling "an affirming and educational way" for people to "counter all acts of hate."On June 6, someone stole the Pride flag that was flying outside Sunset Ridge Elementary School in the coastal community just south of San Francisco.
According to reports from the Pacifica Police Department, "Officers were told an unknown person had removed a Pride flag that was affixed outside of a classroom.
The flag was later found burned the following day, on the other side of the school campus."To counter what police officials immediately labeled a possible hate crime, community members are invited to attend the unity event at Sunset Ridge Elementary, 340 Inverness Drive, Pacifica, at 5 p.m. "to affirm our values of inclusiveness and take action against hate," according to a news release.The incident took place only two days after Pacifica observed its first Pride celebration. "Schools and businesses raised the rainbow and Progress flags," Pacifica Mayor Mary Bier stated of the city's Pride celebration in a release announcing the unity event. "The city and CoastPride distributed multi-lingual welcoming signs with the logos of the city and CoastPride to local businesses.
LGBTQ+ and allies came together in Pacifica's first annual Pride parade."Local officials, including representatives of the local LGBTQ community group CoastPride, condemned the flag burning."Our Coastside community celebrates and supports diversity and acceptance," stated CoastPride Board Chair Jenny Walter. "We stand united against hate crimes, bias crimes, harassment,.
