Aurora Mayor John Laesch is defending his decision to have flags at Aurora municipal facilities flown at full-staff Friday through Sunday while flags at federal and state facilities are at half-staff following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an appearance in Utah on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff at all federal facilities through sunset Sunday in memory of Kirk, who grew up in the Chicago suburbs and was the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker ordered that all state facilities fly the U.S. and state of Illinois flags at half-staff from sunset Friday to sunset Sunday in remembrance of the victims of political violence.
In a statement released Saturday afternoon, Laesch said that on Thursday, the city of Aurora joined communities across the nation in lowering municipal flags to half-staff in remembrance of the lives lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
On Friday, Sept. 12, Aurora’s flags were returned to full-staff, the statement said. According to the statement, while the president of the United States recently ordered flags to be lowered on federal buildings, that directive applies only to federal facilities, and Pritzker’s flag directive applies to state buildings.
Laesch expressed respect for the directives, according to the statement, but said that Aurora’s municipal observance remained focused on commemorating the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001.
“Our focus was on remembering the lives lost on September 11th,” Laesch said in the statement. “On Friday, our flags were raised again as we moved forward, carrying with us the spirit and memory of those who died.
“I recognize that some employees and community members may not agree with this decision, but lowering the flag is a solemn act that carries great weight,” he said in the statement. “The choice to do so should not be made cavalierly. Doing so diminishes the importance of the remembrance of tragedies like Sept. 11, 2001.”
The statement ended by saying that “Aurora also stands firmly against all forms of violence and remains committed to promoting peace, safety and dignity for every resident.”
