Michigan Restaurant Refuses to Take Down Flags Honoring Fallen Officers

A restaurant owner Grand Rapids, Michigan is fighting back after he received a letter from local officials telling him he must remove flags honoring fallen police officers or face a fine for violating zoning laws. Johnny Brann, the owner of Brann’s Steakhouse, said that even if he loses his appeal to in front of City of Grand Rapids Zoning Appeals Board he will not take down the flags or sign he installed to remember the fallen police officers and soldiers who have lost their lives.

“The flags and the names of the fallen heroes on the building are not coming down," he told WZZM.

“I’m going to go through the process, but regardless of the result I’m not taking the flags down,” he says. “These people gave their lives for us and they deserve to be honored and remembered. I’m going to continue to make sure they are.”

The issue with the flags is not their message, but that there are five of them flying from the side of his building. According to a Steve Guitar, who is the spokesman for the city of Grand Rapids, a building of his size is only permitted to have two or three flags

Brann said he did remove two flags after receiving complaints about their wording and political message.

“There were apparently some people who didn’t like it and out of respect I took it down,” he says. “I’m not taking the flags down.”

A GoFundMe page was set up to help cover the $1,349 fee for the zoning variance application. He has raised nearly $3,000 and promised to donate all of the extra money to charities that support law enforcement. 

Brann said that he believes that "people of the United States got to understand the importance of law enforcement." 

"The people of the United States got to understand the importance of law enforcement. They protect us. They protect and serve. If you call them, it doesn't matter who you are, what time it is. If your life's threatened, they're coming to help. And they risk their lives every day they walk out to do their job," Brann said.

"Law enforcement and our military are vital. So it's not even complicated to me, and the banners and the signs are staying up."


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