Satanists ask for flag at Boston City Hall
BOSTON — The Satanic Temple is requesting to fly a flag over Boston City Hall after the U.S. Supreme Court this week ruled the city violated the free-speech rights of a conservative activist seeking to fly a Christian flag there.
The Salem-based group Tuesday tweeted a copy of its request to raise a flag to mark Satanic Appreciation Week in July.
The application filed online with the city doesn’t provide any details about what the flag would look like or what the celebration entails.
Spokespersons for the Satanic Temple didn’t respond to a request for comment Wednesday. The group has lodged freedom-of-religion challenges nationwide, including a recent federal lawsuit arguing the Boston City Council’s traditional opening prayer at its public meetings is discriminatory and unconstitutional.
Mayor Michelle Wu’s office declined to comment on the group’s request other than to say it’s reviewing the court’s decision while also evaluating its flag-raising program.
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that Boston discriminated against activist Harold Shurtleff because of his “religious viewpoint,” even though it had routinely approved other flag raising requests.