Rainbow flags torn down in Federal Hill neighborhood

August 30, 2017 4:34 pm

By Bianca Buono

bbuono@abc6.com

@BBuonoABC6

Several rainbow flags were torn down in a Federal Hill neighborhood where many of the residents are gay.

"I’m still a little bit speechless. This hasn’t happened in our neighborhood before,” said Joe Lazzerini as he showed ABC6 crews his rainbow flag in pieces.

Lazzerini believes someone deliberately tore his pride flag down sometime late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. He’s not alone. At least half a dozen others in his Federal Hill neighborhood were also destroyed.

"Somebody came into our neighborhood and vandalized our community. And it was all the rainbow flags,” Lazzerini said.

The pride flags are a symbol of support for the LGBTQ community.

"There’s nothing part of that flag in any of its symbols that mean hate,” said Anthony DeRose, the chairman of the state’s LGBTQ caucus within the Democratic party. He also happens to lie in the neighborhood where the attack happened.

DeRose says the LGBTQ community has received strong support from the city of Providence so this anti-gay attack came as a bit of a shock.

"The fact that someone felt the need that it was so bothersome that they needed to cross the boundary line onto someone else’s property, take property that was paid for by that person and then remove it it’s just, just wrong,” said DeRose.

The person responsible is still out there so for residents like Lazzerini, the potential for another attack looms large.

"I’m the type of person that believes hope is greater than fear but I am scared,” said Lazzerini. “These aren’t normal times. And this type of behavior shouldn’t be normalized.”

Since the attack, rainbow flags have been hung up again. Residents say there are more pride flags flying now than before the incident.