St. Cloud Mayor, Organizer Apologize After Upside-Down US Flag Flew at 500-Person Somali Event
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 10
St. Cloud Mayor, Organizer Apologize After Upside-Down US Flag Flew at 500-Person Somali Event
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 10
Summary
Nearly a week after the July 3 incident, St. Cloud Mayor Jake Anderson and organizer Omar Podi apologized for an upside-down U.S. flag at a Somali Independence Day celebration in a city park.
Police said they received a 5:29 p.m. call, corrected the flag without objection, and the mayor said it was fixed before the first speaker took the stage at 6 p.m.
Podi, executive director of permit holder Internal Housing Assistant, said the display was unintentional, took full responsibility, and said the city had worked with the organizer for 11 years without a similar problem.
Roughly 500 people attended at peak times, and the video spread on social media, fueling backlash from residents and Councilman Scott Brodeen, who questioned how organizers and local politicians failed to notice it.