Why are people flying their American flags upside down?

It was done by us. We're trying to fight back. It's going to be shown to the Supreme Court. We're flying the flag upside down.

Some people are flying their flags upside down to protest the Supreme Court decisions. The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the right to an abortion is no longer a constitutional right.

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"Except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property, the flag should not be flown upside down," according to the U.S. flag code. There aren't any federal punishments for people who don't follow the U.S. flag code. It isn't a useful law. When the American flag can be flown at half-staff and how it should be used are set by it.

Protesters are flying their flags upside down to show their displeasure with what they see as a nation in distress. It's one of the many forms of peaceful protest that aren't particularly radical, but can be useful in making people feel like they're doing something when they feel powerless, or showing their neighbors where you align politically.

The 1963 March on Washington, which successfully pressured the government to pass a civil rights bill, is a case in point. 2020's Black Lives Matter protests resulted in less legislative progress than the March on Washington but still important societal moves like removing confederate symbols and marking Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

In order to show your support for movements, it is important to put up signs in your yard and attend peaceful marches, but activists and organizers discourage supporters from flying a flag upside down. It can feel like you've done something to push the movement forward when, in reality, you have not.

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If you've decided to fly a flag upside down, you can show your support by putting a sign in your yard or changing the direction of the flag, but they will not change the direction of the flag. You can volunteer, educate yourself, donate money, and think about how you can help people who are the most vulnerable.