A public high school in Oakland, California, is receiving a backlash online after photos circulated of a Palestinian flag flying outside of its building earlier this week.
On Tuesday, freelance journalist Zack Haber shared a photo to X (formerly Twitter) of the flag on a flagpole outside of Fremont High School, a ninth- to 12th-grade school that is part of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).
It's unclear who raised the flag or how long it was on the pole, but some X users have bashed its display amid tensions in the U.S. over the Israel-Hamas war. Schools and universities across the country, as well as major cities, have been the site of protests since the start of the conflict following Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel.
"This is reportedly outside Fremont High School (@FremontTigers) in Oakland, CA @OUSDNews," the conservative account Libs of TikTok posted to X Thursday, resharing the same photo that Haber posted. "They removed the American Flag and replaced it with a Palestinian one."
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, responded to Libs of TikTok's post by writing, "Your daily dose of Leftist insanity."
Other users on X raised concern over allegations that the Palestinian flag took the place of the American flag outside of the high school.
Newsweek was unable to confirm that the flags had been swapped and has emailed OUSD's public affairs office for more information and comment.
"The Palestinian flag flying at Fremont High School in Oakland," wrote Laura Powell, an attorney based in California, in a post on X. "California law requires the flags of the United States and of the State of California to be 'prominently installed, displayed, and maintained' at every school."
Resharing Haber's photo, another X user wrote: "Fremont High School in Oakland removed both Old Glory and the California State flag for the Palestinian flag. Math proficiency in Oakland schools remains at roughly 2%."
On Wednesday, the Palestinian flag was removed from Fremont High School, according to TV station KTVU in Oakland. Family members of students who attend OUSD schools told KTVU that they viewed the matter as divisive.
"Our students are struggling to keep up after COVID with their math and their reading, and I don't understand why this is such an issue here," said Shira, whom KTVU identified as a parent of Israeli and Arab ethnicity who has a son in the seventh grade at OUSD. "And, if it was about peace, there would have been an Israeli flag and a peace sign as well."
Student leaders at OUSD previously urged their district to take a public stance in support of the Palestinian people during an October board meeting, according to a report by news outlet The Oaklandside.
Meanwhile, the Oakland Education Association has faced criticism after it passed a resolution that appeared to support Palestinian liberation and calls for a ceasefire in the war. Jewish parents and teachers at OUSD held a protest against the resolution last week, according to San Francisco TV station KGO.
In a message to the school district on October 16, OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell wrote that she was "hoping for immediate peace" in the war and cited the district's policies regarding discrimination and violence toward people based on race or ethnicity.
She added, "That includes Anti-Jewish and Islamophobic rhetoric and expressions."
She went on: "You've heard me say that violence is never the way to resolve problems between people, and that goes for acts of war, as well. Our hearts are broken. Let's work together to take care of each other, especially our students, and to model peace, empathy, and unity."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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