Justices suggest Boston should have flown ‘Christian flag’
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court justices seem to have little doubt that Boston was wrong to refuse to fly a banner described as a Christian flag outside City Hall. Arguments at the high court Tuesday appeared to unite justices on the left and right in favor of Harold Shurtleff, a conservative activist. Shurtleff wanted to fly a white banner with a red cross on a blue background in the upper left corner, called the Christian flag. On one of three flagpoles outside City Hall, the city sometimes takes down its own pennant and temporarily hoists another flag. Although Boston had approved 284 straight applications _ most involving the flags of other nations _ a city official turned away Shurtleff and his Camp Constitution because he said he wanted to fly the Christian flag.