(Headline USA) A New Jersey town voted this month to ban the American flag and the U.S. Constitution from its council meetings, triggering outrage among offended residents.
The Edison Township Council passed the new rule, Ordinance 2239, to prohibit local residents from using “props” during the public comment section of town meetings. The council claimed the rule was necessary to maintain decorum during the meetings.
While the rule doesn’t single out American flags and copies of the U.S. Constitution, Council President Nishit Patel claimed such items would be “considered not conducive to good order” and would therefore result in ejection from the town meetings.
Several residents protested the rule during a council meeting last week, calling it “stupid’ and unpatriotic.
One resident, Joel Bassoff, who is also a local attorney, brought his American flag into the meeting in spite of the ordinance.
“I’m holding up an American flag to represent the constitutional values,” Bassoff said during public comment as Patel banged his gavel to try and interrupt him.
“It’s my constitutional right to do this,” Bassoff continued. “If you get sued, you will lose. My suggestion to you is that you get a second opinion from competent counsel because you are wrong.”
Patel again tried to cut Bassoff off, arguing Bassoff was in breach of decorum.
“You are interfering with the decorum of this meeting by interfering with the right to speech of a member of the public,” Bassoff replied. “And it should stop now.”
Moments later, Bassoff was approached by two police officers who escorted him from the podium. When Bassoff tried to take his seat, Patel demanded the cops throw him out of the meeting altogether.
Earlier in the meeting, another resident was also removed after she displayed a copy of the U.S. Constitution while addressing council members.
After Bassoff was thrown out, resident Maryann Hennessey blasted the city council for its “disgusting” actions.
“To consider the American flag and the Constitution a prop when someone raises it is an insult to what the flag is, what the flag stands for and what this country is,” she said. “For you to consider the use of the American flag [as] a prop is disgusting.”
