Pride flag ripped down from church — police investigate it as a possible hate crime

A generic Pride flag from our photo files, not the one that was removed from the church.

A vandal ripped down a Pride flag at a Palo Alto church, and police say they’re investigating it as a possible hate crime.

An employee at First Lutheran Church, 600 Homer Ave., told police on Tuesday that somebody ripped the flag and its mounting bracket off the front exterior of the church and left it on the ground. The wall was damaged. It happened between May 7 and 11. Police have no suspects.

Police are asking anyone with information about this incident to call (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.

7 Comments

  1. Pride flag on a Lutheran Church. Hits both sexual orientation and religion or place of worship enhancements and could turn a five dollar rainbow flag on the ground with no injury into a felony.

  2. I think it’s sad that any church would be so liberal that they’d fly the flag. Are they familiar with the Bible?

    • How about being familiar with being decent and respectful. I guess the people that have a problem with the flag clutch their bibles a little too tightly rather than let other people live their own lives. Get a hobby

  3. It is curious that destroying an American flag is “protected free expression”, while destroying a rainbow flag is a hate crime.

    • Well, it’s only a hate crime if another crime is committed at the same time – namely, vandalism. It would also be a crime to rip an American flag off someone else’s wall.

      • In post-George Floyd 2020 America, I highly doubt vandalism of the American Flag on public or private property would be prosecuted as a hate crime, certainly not in big blue places like the Bay Area.

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