Traffic & Transit
CT Contractor Flies Confederate Flag While Working On MA Highway
MassDOT said the truck belonged to a Hartford-area company doing work on behalf of the state.
FITCHBURG, MA — A Confederate flag was reportedly mounted on a vehicle doing repaving on Route 2 in Fitchburg. A video from WCVB-5 ABC shows the flag hanging from the side of the truck Sunday at 9:08 p.m.
MassDOT said the flag was on a Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc. truck. The company is based in Bloomfield, CT and was hired by the state for the paving project.
MassDOT said in a statement that it "prohibits the display of the Confederate flag and similar paraphernalia." The agency has told the contractor that they will not be allowed to perform further work until "steps are taken to remove the flag," according to a report.
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A state law proposed in 2021 would ban the Confederate flag in Massachusetts.
The Confederate flag, long held up as a sign of Southern heritage, has been condemned as a symbol of slavery. The Anti-Defamation League calls the flag a "common white supremacist symbol."
Find out what's happening in Across Massachusettsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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