Residents of Coeur d’Alene enthusiastically paraded crosses during their town’s annual Fourth of July parade in response to the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce banning all religious symbols from being displayed in the parade.
KREM 2 reported the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber previously banned “symbols associated with specific political movements, religions, or ideologies” from being displayed in the town’s Independence Day parade.
Chamber of Commerce President Linda Coppess shared, “The original policy was not meant to isolate individuals or be considered an anti-religious policy.”
On July 3rd, after many residents were planning to defy the order, the Chamber of Commerce reversed the ban on religious symbols.
The Chamber of Commerce’s initial decision to ban crosses from the event resulted in dozens of Christians participating in the parade by parading large crosses.
WATCH:
Banning Crosses didn’t work out well for the @cdachamber.
We the People have had enough of the anti-Christ tyrants that are in control of Coeur d’Alene.
CHRIST IS KING! pic.twitter.com/KQLPXCOtTJ
— Idaho Tribune (@IdahoTribune) July 4, 2024
Per The Daily Mail:
Christians in Idaho who had been banned from carrying religious symbols during their 4th of July parade came out in force on Thursday proudly toting crosses.
Those who attended the Independence Day parade in Coeur d’Alene in the deep red state could be seen proudly waving crosses alongside the star spangled banner.
As some carried crosses alongside Old Glory, others wore t-shirts with the symbol of the cross emblazoned across it.
The move by locals came after the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber reversed a policy which had banned the use of religious symbols in the July 4 parade. New regulations that had been implemented had banned ‘symbols associated with specific political movements, religions or ideologies’, branding them unacceptable.
An outcry had gained momentum over the weekend in the city about the policy before it quickly changed last week. In u-turning on the policy, Coppess said: ‘As a person of deep faith, the recent events and accusations have been especially heartbreaking.
Happy Independence Day!
Thank you to everyone who helped us change the Coeur D’Alene parade’s policy on crosses!
Christians should be free to express their faith at celebrations of this country.#idpol https://t.co/HgBQlBdq8c pic.twitter.com/j9FUZGjWgR
— Idaho Family Policy Center (@IdahoFamilyPC) July 4, 2024
The spirit of 1776 lives on!