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By Paul Bean
A video circulating widely on social media today has ignited online controversy after showing what appears to be staff and students at a Vermont public school raising the flag of Somalia during what appeared to be a ceremonial event.
The footage was shared on X by the account Libs of TikTok. The popular conservative commentary page, known for highlighting cultural and educational issues, posted the 8-second clip this morning, amassing over 6,000 likes, 2,500 reposts, and 130,000 views within hours
Libs of TikTok wrote: “Vermont school district raises the Somalian Flag,” followed by the Winooski School District phone number, (802) 655-0485, for public contact.
The post quickly drew polarized reactions, with supporters praising it as a gesture of inclusivity toward the district’s diverse student body, while critics decried it as an inappropriate display of a foreign flag on U.S. soil, calling for federal funding cuts and questions about citizenship loyalties.
The Winoski School District also posted about the event to their Facebook Page, writing, “We are raising the Somali flag this week in honor of our Somali youth and families in Winooski and Vermont. On Monday, we will be gathering to celebrate together and to learn more about our civil rights.”
Response to the post was mixed:
“Very proud to be an alumni of this wonderful school district. Thank you for doing what you can to protect our community members, and for showing us the way in this dark time,” writes one commenter.
“Back in the day…..” writes another commenter, “when migrants came to America for a better life, they chose to become American. They wanted to be here, wanted to be American so they learned English, they worked hard to assimilate into our society. They didn’t hate America, they didn’t want to change it to their liking and the country appreciated that and welcomed them. Migrants didn’t expect us to cow tow to them. My, how times have changed. Can’t wait for the next 9/11.”
The event took place at the Winooski School District in Winooski, a small city just east of Burlington with a population of around 8,000.
Winooski is notable for its significant Somali immigrant community; according to recent U.S. Census data, the city has one of the highest concentrations of Somali residents in the nation, comprising about 15-20% of the population.
This demographic has shaped local initiatives, including multilingual education programs and cultural celebrations at schools like JFK Elementary and Winooski High School, which serve over 1,200 students from more than 40 countries.
For those wishing to learn more or voice concerns, the Winooski School District can be contacted at (802) 655-0485 or via their website at wsdvt.org.
Watch the raising of the Somali flag on YouTube:
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Categories: National/International News
The Somali flag ? Why not the Hammer and Sickle ?
I’d say, what’s next, but I’ve allready seen it at a rally a few years ago on the State House lawn.
Bolshevik Bernie is Vermont’s patron saint of the Hammer and Sickle…He has probably already commissioned Ilhan Omar and other Rug Flying apologists to sew together more flags to hoist over more schools while radical demon Dems cheer. My nephew from Kentucky read the article in a national paper and sent to me along with his caption, “Vermont is dying.”
Yankee, I don’t know about dying, but someone is sure as hell trying to poison our society, and it’s culture, and traditions !
I agree that only the U.S. and Vermont flags should be flown on a school’s “offical” flagpoles. But if the members of the school body want to put up banners, such as “Black Lives Matter,” I’m fine with that given constraints of respectful language.
I’m new to this site. Pretty surprising to see the vitriol in Vermont. Sad. But not all that surprising given the state of our national political culture. In fact, mild compared to our President’s demonization of his political opponents as “scum,” “vermin” and – Kamal Harris et al. – as “radical leftist communist marxist fascists.” Increasingly violent political rhetoric is a well-studied indication of a democracy’s slide into authoritarianism. Presidents are president of all the people, not just their supporters. Hope that we can respect that people we disagree with are people, too. Including U.S. citizens and members of Congress, as Ilhan Omar is. The Founders never said freedom of speech would be easy.
What a sorry bunch of people anywhere kids to “educate the kids” to this? They should be drummed far away any children The real sorry part is they are being paid via tax dollars by parents of the kids. The educational system in VT is power crazed to do any thing they want and have a union to protect them and they know the courts will rule against the tax payers. Just how stupid the “system” think people are? When they hang flags, stack them up on the pole and put the US flag at the bottom. People in their homes should hang the US flag upside down illustrating distress in the community. There should be a mental institution in every Liberal city and town.
I blame the unions . You talk about absolute power corupting absolutely ? Look at the teacher’s unions ! They rule the halls of the State House, and the halls of the schools . In this state, it’s the VNEA . Once again I ask, why is it that the teachers are the only SOV employees allowed to have their own union ? They need to go bye bye !
John Bossange was probably there holding up the edges of the flag to make sure they didn’t touch the ground as they raised it. It was a teaching moment for him.
INSANITY
Headline fixed:
Winooski School District raises United States Flag, draws riotous response
I’m pretty sure Musk committed today on X that it should be illegal to raise a foreign flag in the USA. I don’t disagree with him.
Loyalty matters.
Who is not for us is against us.
Instigating insurrection from my POV .
That’s pretty rich coming from an immigrant, not surprised he doesn’t believe in free speech. Sad to see that you don’t either.
A LEGAL immigrant, Chris.
I thought the point was that they DIDN’T want to go back there…
They don’t want to go back, just want to turn here there!
@Ron…EXACTLY
How is this even legal on school property?!
Last spring I went to our select board and asked them to consider adopting a flag ordinance, so as to prohibit problems like this arising on public property in our town. I sited the Shurleff vs Boston case with my presentation.
They decided against an ordinance. Because our town is so small and we unfortunately do not own the school building the selectmen thought it best just to deal with any issues as they present themselves.
I’m wondering if there was a surge of citizens petitioning our selectman for flag ordinances maybe we could make a difference and get attention to this issue. Folks who are in favor of various flags flying on public property, would be able to recognize the monetary danger it poses in the form of law suits to our schools and state.
Nothing except the American Flag and the Vermont State flag should be flown on public property.
The cost to Vermonters to “educate” and care for Somali and other non English speakers is off the charts! The return on investment is darn near non-existent. In fact, as Americans paying for non-assimilators to be educated, we’re deep in the red. Somali flag is a slap in the face.
Regarding the comment: “They wanted to be here, wanted to be American so they learned English.”
I grew up in Winooski. As a youth, it was common to hear French spoken on the street. One of grandmothers was born in Winooski, but French was her primary language her whole life; however, she loved her country. Within Winooski, there were other proud Americans who maintained Italian or Polish as their primary language.
To equate patriotism with English is nothing but an antiquated racist belief.
Sickening. I hope this draws the Feds more so than did even the paid protesters & agitators to the Vice President’s ski trip to VT this year.
This shameful school superintendent needs to be kicked in his keister from his little anti-constitutional town all the way to Somali himself. And don’t forget NOT to write.
Kathleen, do you think the feds should always be in charge of local issues? Should we just get rid of local governments and demand that everyone follow whatever trump says? Sounds to me like you’re in favor of a, for lack of a better word, king.
Yeah, just try to put a MAGA flag on school grounds, even if it’s a tribute to the President. Or put up a manger near any public place.
This garbage article is yet another reason why this website is a joke….. Quoting an unnamed Facebook post “… My, how times have changed. Can’t wait for the next 9/11.” Really? This is comment is worth sharing on a “news” site? I expect this garbage from HuffPost…. and now VDC.
you’re welcome to leave at anytime…
You’re welcome to tell me why my comment isn’t relevant and accurate? But I don’t think you can.
I guess you missed the all day revolutionary event held at the Winnioski highschool where the speakers referenced overthrowing the federal government. Vendors included the Democratic Socialists of America.
As crass as the comment is, it IS a free country.
It’s a matter of perspective on whether or not it’s news.
And it clearly stated it was on the Winooski School District’s FB page…
No comment!
My reference here is about the quality of journalism, not about free speech. I didn’t expect VDC to quote random facebook posts as sources for anything. Especially ones that look forward to another 911. If a bot posted something on facebook should VDC use it as a source? Perhaps that would be just fine… afterall, it was posted on facebook, which is as reliable as a report from MAHA.
Again Nick, it wasn’t a random website, it was the Winooski School District’s Fakebook account…comments included.
Let the school fly the somali flag. I hope they fly it high and proud. I think supporting people is WAY better than demonizing them. I bet $100 those refugees are more polite than the comments posted on this forum.
And as far as the ignorant facebook quote in the article, VDC is nervous about sharing the author of the post because it could be a bot and not a real human. The post suggests they want more US buildings attacked by airplanes. And not only that, the Somali’s had nothing to do with 911!!! And all you people on this form are like “whatever. no biggie. suggesting another 911 would be beneficial is totally cool.” Why would Paul Bean share that wretched, incendiary comment? One must wonder, does he want a second 911? I’m not suggesting he does, I’m just asking.
As an aside, I’m too frugal to pay to comment here so there’s only a couple more weeks of my skullduggery to put up with. Then, you can bask in your echo chamber.
Nick, instead of betting that $100 on the behavior of a certain group of people, why don’t you invest it in a year’s subscription to VDC, so you can keep doing what you do?
Some of the most enthusiastic Americans I ever met were Somalis living in Winooski. They studied hard, worked hard, and appreciated their freedom every day. The contrast between them and 4th generation white welfare recipients was striking.
I find it difficult to believe the Somalis here are any different than those in Minneapolis.
What about all the other immigrants that are here legally? Does Winooski High School think that the Somalians are the only ones that matter. Where is the Italian flag, the Swedish flag, the Brazilian flag, the Mexican flag, the Israeli flag, etc..
Nice whataboutism Dan. The Somalis were the only one’s called garbage by the least racist President ever. Its a show of solidarity. Mount Saint Joseph flies the flags of its exchange students. Does that satisfy you, or should they go back to where they came?
Chris, didn’t Hillary call all Republican voters garbage???
On October 10, 2024, President Biden called all Trump supporters garbage.
By doing this, aren’t they hurting the feelings of several million other immigrants?
Sheep? Another Chris Cos assumption.
Every time a president of the United States refers to people who have moved here from a particular country as garbage, it ought to be public policy that the flag of that country be appropriately flown next to the flag of the United States for one week as a rebuke to the president’s words.
I’m sure that Captain Richard Phillips was overjoyed when that flag was raised.
Has anyone noticed the “uncanny resemblance” between the Somali flag and the new, improved Minnesota state flag? A single star.
And now it’s planted in Vermont. Wake up.
And by the way; we remember all those VT republican luminaries who voted for Harris/ WALTZ. They voted for this.
As a former Winooski school board member, I remember the school had hung all the flags of nations around the world as a respectful notion.
After a graduation, a Vietnamese parent came to my home. Our boys were close friends with them.
He was very upset at seeing the Vietnamese flag being displayed. I asked why, he said we fled from there to come to America, it is the communist flag. We won’t step back in that school ever until it’s removed.
The school administration refused to remove it. It took getting them all removed before we could agree.
Be careful what you ask for you just might get it…a flag on a home or in a parade is very different than flying it under the countries flag…
A school district should understand this…
They are Americans, that at least is the goal…over thirty years in this community, many nationalities have come and gone, but they were all welcomed and respected.
This community has done more than its share to support this…history has shown…
On our little street we have an American flag on every light pole. As this country in which this flag represents, has made it all possible to live here free…respecting our laws and what it took too earn this…
I have a Portuguese flag, do I expect the school to fly it?
My wife’s Hungarian flag?
We all remember our roots, but we all have sworn an oath to America…
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Becoming a citizen, is just that…that’s hopefully is the goal…
Hanging the flag of a failed 3rd world lawless nation on US public school grounds is an insult to the memories of the 18 US soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of Mogadishu. Never forget the 2 US soldiers who had their dismembered bodies paraded through the streets of this barbaric country.
NICK ROSATO – It so pains me to witness adults apparently educated in the VT school system who cannot comprehend that federal law supersedes state law. Immigration law is established by the federal government in compliance with the US Constitution — and no state may decrease/diminish these laws or their enforcement. Perhaps additionally, those so inclined to be thoroughly confused, might also investigate the SUPREMECY CLAUSE of that aforementioned Constitution.
Perchance leftists, the undereducated, paid protestors & agitators, & the altogether ignorant need to get accustomed to a POTUS who enforces extant law — as opposed to FIGUREHEAD presidents such as Joe Biden.
And yes, I know, CAPITALIZATION to leftists is bad. Very, very bad………I WILL HAVE TO WORK ON THAT.
Kathleen, nice comment! I know many republi… eh hem, trump supporters are more than happy to identify how the executive branch can and should use their powers more assertively. Nice to see you fall in line. (I wonder, however, when trump’s dementia becomes more evident will you call him a figurehead and call for him to step down? I chance you will not.)
One major repercussion of anti-American incidents like this in Vermont is that individuals who are conservative, patriotic, or even republican will NOT move here. The many RINO politicians here work to bring more people to Vermont, but the only people who want to move here are democrats and progressives. If you’re a conservative in Vermont and you talk with conservatives outside Vermont, they all think you’re a dope for living here. This view is reflected in many of the comments to the news reports on the internet about this Winooski foasco. Republicans in Vermont who want to bring more people here are shooting themselves.
Robert–Didn’t at one time Vermont wanted to pay outsiders $10K to move here? The LIBS that proposed this must have wanted more LIBS to increase their power. Given the housing shortage and now proposed mobile housing (article just sent by VDC) is this for the money recipients to buy the proposed housing? Just how would these people support themselves to make a living and survive in VT? The wedding cake is upside down. Another quagmire proposed by LIBS, view the timing.
https://vermontdailychronicle.com/one-towns-secret-to-affordable-housing-mobile-homes/
Wow, so many racists here! Have any of you commenters ever met an un-American Somali resident? I haven’t. Every Somali, or other African immigrant, that I’ve ever met here has always been polite, respectful, Pius, family oriented, and industrious.
Ah, there it is — the “R” word. I was reading all these comments and wondering when someone would reach into his (or her) bag of cliches and whip out the race card. When arguments, common sense, and decency fail, just call folks you don’t agree with “racist.” That’ll show them! Guaranteed to end the argument and make you tingle with self-satisfied pride.
The display of the American Flag alongside other flags is permissible, provided it adheres to the guidelines outlined in the Flag Code.
When displaying the U.S. flag with another nation’s flag, both should be on separate poles of the same height, of similar size, and the U.S. flag takes the position of honor to the observer’s left (its own right). The U.S. flag should be raised first and lowered last, and never placed below or behind the other flag; no flag can be flown above the U.S. flag except the UN flag at UN HQ.
If these Somalis are here legally and desire to become US citizens why would they be happy about the raising the Somali flag. They came here to get away from that. I think they would be happy with the US flag. I believe this is nothing more than virtue signalling by the Winooski district.
I imagine for a similar reason as to why congresswoman Delia Ramirez proclaimed she’s more of a proud Guatemalan than she is an American.
The USA is self-destructing.
As Nikita Khruschev explained “We will take America without firing a shot. We do not have to ever invade the U.S. We will destroy you from within”.
We are our own worst enemy.
Actually Nick…..(!) the U.S. Constitution itself spells it all out for you as do subsequent Supreme Court decisions over the centuries. Perhaps a refresher course in U.S. history might be in order for those who falsely believe that state laws can conflict with and/or decline to comply with federal immigration law.
As for your latest DNC “talking point” comparing Trump’s non-existent cognitive decline to your genuinely dementia-ridden, China pandering, child sexual abuser-in-chief Joe Biden, it merely makes me question the actual cognitive state of those who buy into it and then parrot it.
Next. Again. As usual.
Can anyone explain the difference between the hammer and sickle and a pulp hook and splitting maul?????
Nick Rosato, clearly, Paul Bean is supporting his point that this irresponsible, provocative demonstration by a public school district spawned an online firestorm, objectively sourcing both a pro and a con comment (Mr. Bean didn’t name the author of either commenter, btw). There are numerous comments on that thread that better articulate and convey the righteous anger and opposition of multitudes to this vile act, and so I agree Mr. Bean could have selected a different comment had he wished. You also opine, “[t]his garbage article is yet another reason why this website is a joke.” Actually, VDC is the most objective and fair news provider available to us. Name another legitimate, prominent news source in Vermont that welcomes comments pro and con on articles, if these competitors even allow comments, as most no longer do, or never have.
Jodi Harrington, so we can reasonably infer from what you claim in your comment that being extorted by taxation to support imported first-generation welfare recipients (often of questionable immigration status) is somehow okay, because you perceive them as if better than “4th generation white welfare recipients”? Actually, neither is fine. So, you actually make the case that we must stop the importation (legal and especially illegal “migration”) and rapidly identify and deport everyone here illegally. This is especially vital because, as you unwittingly well make the case, we obviously don’t need to add on taxpayers’ backs the costly already existing burden of your “4th generation white welfare recipients”.
the school should spend less effort in symbols and more time ensuring their documented students remain legal with ICE; family members crossing the Canadian border with fraudulent papers draws attention no matter who or what people are
State Law permits only the Flag of the USA, the Flag of Vermont, and an official school flag to be raised on the flag pole at a public school. There is a clause that allows the school board to raise a different flag, but it has to be by vote during a regular board meeting. That’s how we ended up with BLM flags on school poles a few years ago, even though they are clearly an advertisement for a syndicated corporation (which is strictly prohibited).
To raise a flag of another country is to pledge support to the nation the flag represents. I’m pretty sure the people originally from Somalia do not support their former country since they came here.
The person who raised that flag 1) is clearly demonstrating political speech, due to the proximity to the news of extreme scandals ($1 billion in stolen funds?) in Michigan committed by Somalis, and 2) At best they are ignorant, at worst possibly a terrorist-like threat to our community, our country, and possibly themselves (some of the most notorious terrorist/hate groups base out of that nation).
To somehow claim a racial motivation for those patriots pointing out the problems with raising another (enemy) countries flag on school grounds is also a symptom of childish ignorance and hate.