Supreme Court rules against Boston in Christian flag case

By MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A unanimous Supreme Court has ruled that Boston violated the free speech rights of a conservative activist when it refused his request to fly a Christian flag on a flagpole outside City Hall. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the court Monday that the city discriminated against the activist because of his “religious viewpoint,” even though it had routinely approved applications for the use of one of the three flagpoles outside City Hall that fly the U.S., Massachusetts and Boston flags. Occasionally, the city takes down its own pennant and temporarily hoists another flag. Activist Harold Shurtleff and his Camp Constitution wanted to fly a white banner with a red cross on a blue background in the upper left corner called the Christian flag.