21-04-2025
Activists fly conservative flag at Boise City Hall. Mayor McLean responds
Far-right activists covered two flags at Boise City Hall that have become the source of controversy, and added a flag linked with conservative movements.
The mayor showed up on Sunday morning to remove the protesters' flag herself.
A two-minute video posted at 8:14 a.m. to social media by activist Casey Whalen shows locals known for their far-right views, including David Pettinger, placing a ladder against the City Hall flagpoles while the sky is still dark. Pettinger wears dark clothing as the 'Mission: Impossible' movie theme song plays.
A figure in the video adds an 'Appeal to Heaven' flag to one of the poles before covering two existing flags with what appeared to be black plastic bags.
The Appeal to Heaven flag dates back to the American Revolution. The once obscure flag has in recent years become associated with President Donald Trump's 'Stop the Steal' movement in 2020-21 and those who want to insert more religion into government, according to the New York Times.
The two covered flags were the Pride flag, and a Donate Life flag that supports a nonprofit that raises awareness about the importance of organ donation.
Those flags have become a recent target for Republican ire after House Bill 96 — which allows government entities to display only certain official flags, such as the American flag, state flag, city flag and military flags — became law on April 4.
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean has stood firm in her decision to keep the Pride and Donate Life flags flying, despite threats from Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador that she might be putting city funding at risk.
McLean appeared in front of City Hall at about 11 a.m. and quickly removed the 'Appeal to Heaven' flag and uncovered the two others, according to video footage.
The Mayor's Office did not immediately respond to the Idaho Statesman's request for comment Sunday.
Because the legislation did not include a provision for enforcement or penalties, law enforcement has said there is little they can do to enforce this law.
'Without clear direction in the law, no law enforcement in the state of Idaho has the authority to issue citations or make arrests in this situation,' Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford said in an emailed statement on Wednesday. 'This situation highlights the importance of thoughtful collaboration in the legislative process. I strongly urge Idaho legislators to work closely with subject matter experts when drafting legislation to ensure that future statutes are clearly enforceable and contain the necessary legal structure to support their implementation.'
Boise police appeared to toe a similar line on Sunday.
Boise resident Pam Hemphill once joined Pettinger and other conservative activists in protest incidents like Sunday's. She's since come to reject them and many of her previously held beliefs following her arrest for participating in the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021.
Hemphill said she hurried to City Hall on Sunday and called police to report the flag incident.
'It's not the Pride flag, it's freedom,' Hempgill told the Statesman. 'Freedom to love who you want, be who you are. That's America. It just hurts that these people are being picked on so much.'
The Whalen video used audio of Hemphill joking about the possibility of activists getting arrested for removing the Pride flag.
In a video shared with the Idaho Statesman, a Boise police officer tells Hemphill that he won't take action against those who participated.
'What we've been instructed to do is we're not taking any enforcement action on flying the flag or taking it down,' the officer said.
The Boise Police Department did not immediately respond to the Idaho Statesman's request for comment Sunday.
