Who knew a "peace park" could be so contentious? The Pacifist Memorial in the Boston suburb of Sherborn has been forced to take down a United Nations flag after residents objected.
Memorial founder Lewis Randa removed the flag and its flagpole last week because residents of the luxury townhome development where it's now located say the items violated their property agreement.
But Randa says he and others were simply restoring a flag, which he concedes was not part of the original memorial but had flown for decades on the grounds.
He said it's "inexcusable" that the UN flag isn't allowed when just next door, at the town's historic cemetery, a US flag flies beside a war memorial honouring the town's fallen soldiers.
"It is clear that the animosity felt by those who have long opposed the presence of the Pacifist Memorial in Sherborn is what is generating the opposition," Randa said.
"They claim it has nothing to do with the fact that it is a UN flag, but we all know if it was the US flag, no one in their right mind would demand that it be taken down."
"No one can just decide to put something on our front lawn."
The Pacifist Memorial, where Randa recently raised the UN flag, is the main feature of the site. It centers around a towering bronze statue of Indian independence leader Mohandas K Gandhi, also known as the mahatma or "great soul."
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