Confederate Flag Displayed At Natick Memorial Day Ceremony

NATICK, MA — Local officials are condemning a person who brought a Confederate flag to a Memorial Day ceremony in Natick Center.

Select Board Chair Karen Adelman-Foster and state Sen. Rebecca Rausch said the person moved to the front of the crowd during the Memorial Day ceremony Monday morning and held up the flag.

"[T]his individual desecrated the Grand Army Civil War memorial in Natick Center, the memories of all people who have fallen in defense of equality and freedom, and each and every person now fighting for meaningful anti-racism, diversity and inclusion in our communities," a joint statement from the two officials said.

The Confederate flag, long held up as a sign of Southern heritage, has been condemned as a symbol of slavery. The Anti-Defamation League calls the flag a "common white supremacist symbol."

Natick's Civil War memorial, located along the East Central Street side of the common, was dedicated on July 4, 1868, by Brigadier General Alfred Stedman Hartwell, a Natick native who commanded a regiment of Black troops in the Union Army. The regiment faced discrimination from white Union troops, and the Black soldiers were paid less, according to the Massachusetts Civil War Monuments Project.

"While this individual acted on his own, we apologize to everyone hurt or harms by this act," Rausch and Adelman-Foster's statement continued. "We condemn this act outright, and remain steadfast in our commitment to advancing our shared values of justice, equity and freedom."