Idaho Christians, who had been banned from wearing religious symbols during their Fourth of July parade, turned out en masse Thursday proudly carrying crosses.
Attendees at the Independence Day parade in Coeur d’Alene, in the deep red state, could be seen proudly waving crosses alongside the Star-Spangled Banner.
While some carried crosses alongside Old Glory, others wore T-shirts with the cross symbol emblazoned on them.
The move by locals came after the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber reversed a policy that had banned the use of religious symbols in the Fourth of July parade.
The new regulations that had been implemented had banned “symbols associated with specific political movements, religions or ideologies”, calling them unacceptable.
Attendees at the Independence Day parade in Coeur d’Alene, the deeply Republican state, could be seen proudly waving crosses alongside the Star-Spangled Banner.
Linda Coppess, president and CEO of the chamber, told the Coeur d’Alene Press that the policy change came after receiving complaints last year.
According to Coppess, the chamber had received more than 50 complaints about signs and symbols deemed offensive last year.
These included Confederate flags, derogatory illustrations, harsh politically-based language and graphic images.
To address the issue, the chamber consulted with national organizations to bring about a change in policy, Coppess said.
She said: ‘The original policy was not intended to isolate people or be considered an anti-religious policy.
‘Our intention with this policy was simple: to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and respected.’
Protests had been building over the policy in the city over the weekend before it was quickly reversed last week.
Turning to politics, Coppess said: “As a person of deep faith, recent events and accusations have been especially heartbreaking.
While some carried crosses alongside Old Glory, others wore T-shirts with the cross symbol printed on them.
The new regulations that had been implemented had banned “symbols associated with specific political movements, religions or ideologies”, calling them unacceptable.
‘Our goal for the Fourth of July Parade is to create a celebration that honors our military, encourages family fun and respects all attendees.
‘This year, we introduced guidelines to ensure that we honor America’s military and do not open the door to offensive displays.
“While we understand the significance of many symbols, we aim to make the parade welcoming to everyone.”
Paul Van Noy, president of the Kootenai County Ministerial Association and pastor of Candlelight Christian Fellowship, said he was pleased by the change of heart.
He told the outlet: ‘Any and all religious symbols should be allowed.Everyone should have the right to be faithfully and adequately represented.
Before the change, acceptable signage only included slogans like “Happy Independence Day,” messages honoring the unit and others honoring veterans, active military personnel and first responders.
According to the chamber, failure to comply with its rules would have resulted in “immediate elimination from the parade.”