EDISON, N.J. — A prominent community lawyer was removed by police officers from a New Jersey town hall meeting for displaying an American flag.
Tensions flared at an Edison Town Hall meeting this week when police escorted out a man holding a small American flag after local officials ordered him to remove it. The incident, which prompted an uproar from the crowd, has drawn sharp criticism from community members and political figures.
The protest was over the town’s law against using props such as American flags, the Bible, and even the Constitution as props while speaking before the council.
The conflict began when the man, local lawyer Joel Bassoff, displayed the flag while speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting. Council President Nishith Patel responded by warning the man that he would be removed if he did not put the flag away. “I’m going to give you a warning; if you continue, you’ll have to forfeit your time,” Patel said, banging his gavel.
As the man refused to comply, two municipal police officers surrounded him and escorted him out of the chamber. The man received an ovation from attendees as he left, but was not permitted to finish his remarks. The meeting was briefly recessed for five minutes after the incident.
According to the Edison Reporter, “In October, one man arrived at a meeting dressed as a bong, while others covered their faces with Anonymous and Mexican wrestler masks in protest of Council President Nishith Patel’s ban on unnecessary face coverings during public speaking.”
Council members did not provide a clear explanation for banning the display of the flag, and police officers on the scene declined to answer questions about the ejection. The move has sparked outrage, with critics accusing the council of suppressing free expression.
Former congressional candidate Mike Crispi reacted strongly on social media, accusing the council of banning American flags. “I DEMAND Edison is defunded from receiving any state aid until this garbage is overturned,” Crispi said, adding that he plans to bring “1,000 American flags” to a future meeting in protest.
The NJ GOP is calling for a protest at the next meeting, posting, “Democrats in Edison, NJ have banned the American Flag, the U.S. Constitution, and other ‘props’ from their Council Meetings. The next meeting is December 11th at 7:00pm. We hope to see you there!” on X.