Outrage in Portsmouth over stolen American Flag

By Ana Bottary

abottary@abc6.com

@anabottary

Shattered bits of plastic line the ground, just above it, a damaged hanger. It held a flag outside of Rocco’s pizza in Portsmouth. An American Flag that was a little different than a traditional one. It represents support for Police, Fire, First Responders and Military as well as the fallen.
 
"When people arrived on Monday the flag wasn’t here, but nobody thought anything of it. They thought I took the flag home,"says owner Rocco’s Pizza, Kenneth Golini. 
 
But when owner, Kenneth Golini came in on Tuesday he also asked where the flag was.

"You can tell it was maliciously ripped off the pole, because there’s an iron hanger that’s actually snapped. So, it wasn’t just the wind blowing the flag off."

Golini was never in the military, but tells us he has family members who have been and he thinks the flag represents respect to those who have made sacrifices for this country and those who continue to do so.

"For people who give their lives on the front lines for our freedom for me to be able to put an apron on and go to work, instead of a bullet proof vest."

Neighboring businesses are also not happy about the theft.
 
"It’s just unfortunate that people would just come along and take things that don’t belong to them, maybe not even realizing what it meant," says Susan Perry.

(c)WLNE-TV 2016