Columbus, Ohio — a city with one of the nation’s largest Somali communities — drew criticism online after a since-deleted social media post marked the raising of the Somali flag.
“Happy Somali Independence Day!” the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department wrote Wednesday on X. “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 message rapidly circulated among conservative users on social media, with critics questioning why Columbus officials were prominently recognizing Somali independence — especially as the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its own independence.
“Columbus, Ohio raising the flag of Somalia for America 250,” White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller posted on X.
“No American government building should ever be raising another country’s flag,” journalist Mark Hemingway posted on X. “Ugh.”
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“City Hall is not a foreign embassy,” attorney and political commentator Mehek Cooke posted on X. “As an Ohioan, I am repulsed by the anti-Americanism here. Our leaders treat foreign nationalism as sacred while treating American patriotism as controversial. America’s public buildings should honor America.”
“This is AMERICA, not Little Somalia,” ACT for America founder Brigitte Gabriel posted on X. “Flying the Somali flag at City Hall isn’t ‘celebration.’ It’s cultural surrender. Other nations aren’t parallel cultures here to dominate ours. Remove that flag. Remove the officials who demand it.”
“Excuse me?” wrote Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak on X. Rosiak has previously reported at length on growing fraud concerns involving members of the Somali community in Columbus.
“Why the f— is Columbus, Ohio celebrating ‘the unification of the Trust Territory of Somaliland…’ when America turns 250 this week?” Federalist reporter Brianna Lyman posted on X. “They all need to go back. They love their third world country so much, send them back. Denaturalize and deport.”
“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,” Ohio Republican state Rep. Brian Stewart posted on X. “One more way in which we encourage the refusal to assimilate.”
The post from the Recreation and Parks Department was deleted shortly after Fox News Digital reached out for comment.
After publication, a city spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “A social media post created by a city department falsely stated that City Hall would raise the Somalian flag in recognition of Somali Independence Day. While the City recognizes and respects the aspirations of people around the world to live in freedom, this post was inaccurate and has been deleted.”
