Security camera captures Pride flags being torn down from Norwich home | CBC News

A woman in Norwich, Ont., is frustrated after security cameras captured footage of four people tearing down Pride flags from her house and front lawn on Sunday night. 

Amy Luciani lives with her husband in a house on Stover Street North, the main north-south street in Norwich, a town of about 11,000 in Oxford County. Luciani had two large rainbow Pride flags displayed at her house along with a sign that says “Everyone Welcome.” She also had about 40 small rainbow lawn signs on display. 

All were removed in a matter of seconds just after 9:15 p.m. on Sunday night. Images captured by Luciani’s outdoor security cameras show four young men, their faces obscured by hats and hooded sweatshirts, dashing around the property, tearing down the flags and plucking out the lawn signs before fleeing. 

“I find it devastating,” said Luciani. “We wanted to have our own flags up just to show people that there are safe spaces in the community, that there are people who want them to feel safe and welcome.” 

Luciani’s stepfather, who lives in the house, was photographed in front of the “Everyone Welcome” flag by CBC News for an online story published on May 21. That flag was one of those removed in Sunday’s incident. 

Last month Norwich town council voted to restrict the display of flags on public property to those that represent municipal, provincial and federal governments. The decision prompted one council member to resign in protest.

Luciani said on Tuesday, June 6 — six days before her flags were pulled down — a young woman came to her house at 11:15 p.m. The young woman knocked on the door and asked Luciani to remove the flags. Luciani said the young woman complained the signs were “too flashy” and “in peoples’ faces” for the town.

Luciani explained the flags were to show support and inclusion for LGBTQ members in town. Eventually the woman left and Luciani reported the incident to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). Six days later, her flags were removed in the incident captured on video.

CBC News reached out to the OPP for comment but did not receive a response. 

Similar incident last year led to charges

Norwich resident Jeff Ducharme wasn’t surprised at news of the incident. Last year a security camera captured an image of a man removing a Pride flag from his house. A young man, who cannot be named because of his age, was charged in the incident. 

“The actions of council have emboldened these groups,” Ducharme said. “Our municipal government is telling [the people removing signs] are not only on the side of right, they’re on the side of God.” 

Luciani says the incident won’t shake her commitment to showing support for the LGBTQ community. Minutes after the flags were torn down, she went online to order replacements. 

“We wanted to get them up right away to show that we’re not backing down from this, that we’re standing up for what we believe in: That all people should feel safe and included here.”