In San Francisco, Controversial Flags Have Had Their Ups and Downs

The inauguration of Mayor Daniel Lurie of San Francisco on Wednesday within the plaza outdoors Metropolis Corridor had all of it: outstanding audio system, a packed viewers, and performers starting from Chinese language lion dancers to the Homosexual Males’s Refrain.

However eagle-eyed observers may need seen one thing lacking. Or, actually, 18 issues lacking. Two rows of 9 historic banners, often called the Pavilion of American Flags, had been gone from the plaza. Of their place had been 18 matching light-blue flags with town seal.

A brand new day in San Francisco? Nope. Not on the flag entrance, anyway. By Friday morning, the previous ones had been again, billowing within the breeze.

The town’s flag assortment drew consideration in Could when a San Francisco resident raised issues that the quintessentially liberal metropolis was flying the “Enchantment to Heaven” flag, which had additionally been noticed outdoors Justice Samuel A. Alito’s New Jersey trip house.

Initially flown by George Washington’s ships within the Revolutionary Conflict as an emblem of insurrection in opposition to the British, the white flag with a inexperienced pine tree has since grow to be related to the “Cease the Steal” motion. Some rioters carried it as they stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in search of to cease Joseph R. Biden Jr. from being licensed because the winner of the presidential election.

Critics mentioned Justice Alito ought to recuse himself from circumstances associated to the Jan. 6 assault for displaying the flag, however he didn’t, saying his spouse was the one accountable for flying it.

Mayor London Breed, who misplaced to Mr. Lurie within the November election, eliminated the “Enchantment to Heaven” flag from town’s show in Could and changed it with an American flag. She mentioned on the time that she would take into account eradicating others that had been provocative, however didn’t find yourself doing so earlier than she left workplace.

Nonetheless flying below her watch — and once more Friday, below Mr. Lurie’s — was the Gadsden flag, a yellow banner with a coiled rattlesnake and the phrases “Don’t Tread on Me” that has grow to be related to the conservative Tea Social gathering motion and gun fans and is taken into account by some to have racist connotations.

Additionally nonetheless flying is the Betsy Ross flag, a Revolutionary Conflict flag with 13 stars in a circle. That flag, too, has grow to be controversial, adopted by some far-right teams to indicate a time when white males held all energy. Nike even pulled sneakers with the flag in 2019 on the urging of former N.F.L. quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who mentioned the flag was linked to slavery.

Each the Gadsden flag and the Betsy Ross flag had been carried by Jan. 6 rioters. A spokesman for Mr. Lurie mentioned on Friday that the mayor would overview the present assortment of flags.

Since 1964, San Francisco’s pavilion has showcased flags that performed an vital position within the nation’s historical past. A Accomplice flag flew within the show for 20 years earlier than a protester twice tore it down and Mayor Dianne Feinstein determined, after the second time, to not reinstall it.

On Wednesday, the flags briefly vanished. The sunshine blue replacements matched the scores of banners hanging from gentle poles, far bigger banners hanging on the facade of Metropolis Corridor and fancy packages handed out to company.

The occasion’s night element was even splashier: a road social gathering in Chinatown that featured fireworks and a efficiency by the digital music producer Zhu.

A marketing campaign spokesman for Mr. Lurie, an inheritor to the Levi Strauss fortune who spent almost $9 million of his personal cash on his marketing campaign, declined to say how a lot the décor and festivities value or who paid for all of it. He mentioned the disclosures could be made public inside 30 days of the inauguration as required by regulation.

The occasion’s producer, Stanlee Gatti, designed the inauguration and mentioned the sunshine blue signified hope. He mentioned he would encourage the brand new mayor to be taught in regards to the historical past of the flags and why they’d been co-opted by teams just like the Jan. 6 rioters.

“Totally different folks interpret issues in several methods,” he mentioned. “But when it’s grow to be one thing that’s anti-American, yeah, in fact I believe they need to come down.”

Mr. Gatti famous that San Franciscans may admire the inclusion of a Delight flag supporting L.G.B.T.Q. rights.

The choice of which flags keep or go is completely as much as the mayor, and a brand new directive could possibly be coming quickly. Charles Kretchmer Lutvak, a spokesman for Mr. Lurie, mentioned the administration put the gathering again in place as a matter in fact after the ornamental inauguration ones got here down.

However when requested about why some controversial banners remained up, he mentioned the mayor would overview them.

“The symbols we show ought to replicate the perfect of our communities and our metropolis,” he mentioned.