New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill on Tuesday that bans municipal corporations, such as fire and police departments and school districts, from selling or displaying hate symbols.
The banned symbols include, but are not limited to, anything related to white supremacy, neo-Nazi ideology or the Confederate battle flag, according to the new legislation. The bill expands on similar legislation passed last year that prohibits the sale or display of hate symbols on state-owned property.
It was introduced following two incidents on Long Island last year involving Confederate flags.
In August 2020, a truck from a volunteer fire department in Suffolk County displayed the Confederate flag during a parade. The department later apologized for the display and announced the resignation of two firefighters involved in the incident, reported Newsday. A Confederate flag was also seen hanging in the window of a Nassau County fire station.
“The recent and disgusting rise in racist, homophobic and hateful behavior will never be tolerated in New York,” said Hochul in a statement. “Symbols of hate have no use other than to spread ignorance and incite violence.”
She added that “there is no reason for a symbol of hate to ever be on display, let alone by a police or fire department charged with protecting their community.”
