Don’t do it, protesters implored. Don’t conduct a ceremony to raise the flag of the People’s Republic of China over Philadelphia’s city hall.
The protesters included Congressman John Moolenaar, chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, who had written to the mayor urging that Philadelphia cancel the ceremony and also sever its longtime sister-city connection to the Chinese town of Tianjin. The letter also explains the PRC’s united-front operations, a blend of “engagement, influence activities, and intelligence operations.”
Philadelphia did it anyway (Newsweek, September 30, 2025).
Philadelphia City Solicitor Renee Garcia told Newsweek that there had been flag-raising ceremonies in the city for at least 20 countries this year which were not official endorsements of any foreign government, but expressions of cultural pride….
Flying the five-star red flag—the symbol of the CCP—on U.S. government property has sparked criticism that it sends a misleading message of support for a regime often at odds with American interests. Supporters say it’s in recognition of Philadelphia’s diverse immigrant communities….
Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) sent a letter to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker demanding the city cancel the move and end its ties with Tianjin.
He said that the flag represents “the totalitarian government led by the Chinese Communist Party,” which persecutes people of all faiths and is responsible for the genocide of Uyghur Muslims.
He added that there needed to be vigilance in dealing with United Front organizations which U.S. national security and experts have accused of involvement in influence and intelligence operations for Beijing in the United States.
Founder and executive director for Campaign for Uyghurs, Rushan Abbas, also urged Philadelphia not to go through with the move and called on city leaders “to stand with victims of tyranny.”
“It’s for the diverse immigrant communities” is not a good excuse for a ceremony that can only be viewed as supporting the Chinese Communist Party and its regime, not a “community” with respect to which the difference between tyrants and those oppressed by the tyrants is being ignored.
Now that others have explained why officially raising the flag of the People’s Republic of China over a city hall, the symbolic significance of which is blatant, cannot constitute a proper instance of “recognition of…diverse immigrant communities,” the only thing for the Philadelphia government to do is not do it anymore. Either leave the flag in the box or burn it.
Also see:
ANI News: “China’s minority communities burned PRC flags at demonstrations in US, UK cities” (October 5, 2022)
House Select Committee on the CCP: September 24, 2025 Letter From John Moolenaar to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker
Campaign for Uyghurs: September 26, 2025 Letter From Rushan Abbas to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker
