Manitou Springs City Council members protest federal government during Pledge of Allegiance
MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - KRDO13 Investigates is looking into a protest at a recent Manitou Springs City Council meeting.
Three council members Judith Chandler, John Shada, and Julie Wolfe chose not to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance last week as it was recited before the meeting began last week. They said it was in protest of the federal government.
"I can understand her angst and desire to protest the chaos and disruption at the national level. I suspect we'll see more cases of protest and civil disobedience," Manitou Springs Mayor John Graham said during the Feb 18 meeting.
The mayor also told KRDO13 Investigates over the phone that while he understands the reasons behind the protest and the current political climate, he said he doesn't conflate the flag with recent actions by the Trump Administration.
KRDO13 Investigates also spoke to residents of Manitou Springs about the protest.
"My initial reaction was that I get where they're coming from, and, it is a brave thing to do to stand up to something that you believe in," said resident Lauren Lavallie. "But, at the same time, it feels like we should all almost be standing up for something stronger as opposed to sitting down for something that we're not agreeing with," she added.
Some of the council members also told us that they received a threat because of the protest, which the mayor confirmed. Manitou Springs police, however, said they're not aware of any credible threats being reported.
