BURIEN, Wash. — Burien Pride said the majority of the Pride flags in the city's downtown area were stolen early Saturday morning.
The theft occurred between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Saturday. A number of poles the flags were hung on were broken as well. The organization posted surveillance photos online and said it appeared two people were involved.
"Burien is not a town for hate," the post from Burien Pride read.
The Burien Police Department (BPD) said it was aware of the incident and confirmed several dozen Pride flags were removed and stolen from downtown, adding the department is “committed to conducting a thorough investigation.”
A BPD spokesperson said the incident was forwarded to the King County Sheriff’s Office Hate Crimes Coordinator for review.
“Targeted, criminal acts against any group cannot and will not be tolerated," the BPD said in a statement. "We stand with our community and will work in partnership with them as we work to identify and hold those responsible accountable.”
Burien Pride said it was ordering more flags with the goal of having them back up by the end of the month.
The BPD spokesperson said the department had “no evidence to support or refute” that the thefts were tied to the arrest of 31 men in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho who had ties to a white nationalist hate group. The men were arrested on Saturday afternoon, blocks away from the Pride at the Park event. Police found the 31 men hiding inside a U-haul truck after someone spotted them loading up and called to report what "looked like a little army."
Coeur d'Alene police said they recovered evidence that the group was planning to riot in downtown Coeur d’Alene. All 31 men were arrested on charges of conspiracy to riot.
The Burien incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call the BPD at 206-296-3311, or visit the BPD precinct located at 14905 6th Av. SW in Burien.
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