Columbus, Ohio, raised the Somali flag, sparking intense backlash. The post, which has since been removed, originally read, according to reports, “Happy Somali Independence Day!”
“As we celebrate the unification of the Trust Territory of Somaliland and the State of Somaliland into the Somali Republic in 1960, City Hall will be raising the flag of Somalia,” The Columbus Rec & Parks Department shared on X.
“Columbus, Ohio raising the flag of Somalia for America 250,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller posted in response.
Similarly, State Rep. Brian Stewart, a Republican, wrote, “If Somalia is such a failed state that we need to take in tens of thousands of its citizens as ‘refugees,’ then we really don’t need to be celebrating its supposed ‘independence’ with patronizing posts on social media. One more way in which we encourage the refusal to assimilate.”
Minnesota, Minneapolis, has also celebrated Somali Independence Day.
“Happy Somali Independence Day! Here in Minnesota, home to one of the largest Somali communities in the United States, we celebrate the resilience, culture, and leadership that continue to enrich our city and community,” he wrote on X.
“Through the most difficult of times and through Operation Metro surge, we all saw that they tried to come for some of us,” Frey told a crowd. “And when that happens, we say that you’re coming for all of us.”
“In Minneapolis, we loved our neighbors. In Minneapolis, we do not see you as immigrants. We see you as our family,” he added. “You are our brothers. You’re our sisters. You have done so much for this incredible city, and for that, we stand with you.”
