A recent flap over foreign flags being raised at Vancouver City Hall has Coun. Chak Au clarifying that Richmond’s policy is different than their cross-river counterpart.
Au told the Richmond News that flag-raising ceremonies are done only for official visits by foreign dignitaries, however community groups wishing to raise a flag at Richmond City Hall must receive approval from the City of Richmond.
City spokesperson Ted Townsend provided theNews with the details of Richmond’s flag policy.
Notably, foreign flags may be flown for official visits only, and only from sunrise to sunset at city hall’s plaza. The Canadian flag must always accompany the foreign flag, as well.
As it relates to criticisms by some members of the Chinese community in Vancouver that China’s flag was flown at its city hall — considering that country’s poor human rights history and undemocratic political system — Richmond’s policy appears to potentially account for such circumstances.
“The city reserves the right to decide whether or not to fly the flag of the nation when there is political unrest or conflict in that nation. The decision to fly the flag of any nation neither implies nor expresses support for the politics of those nations,” notes the city’s policy.
The policy also states: “Events involving flag-raising ceremonies may be held at city hall upon request and at the city’s discretion.”
Members of the local Filipino community have held a flag-raising ceremony at city hall for the past two years.
The policy stipulates that the Canadian flag on top of city hall can never be substituted for another flag, even for filming purposes.
