Dr. John Parkerson, a physician operating out of North Baltimore, says that an Israeli flag he hung outside of his office was torn down and stolen after the office closed on Friday, May 31. The perpetrator was caught on video, and the incident was reported to the Baltimore Police Department.
The flag removal is being investigated as property damage, but Parkerson said that he has filed an online complaint to the Maryland State Government office citing it as a hate crime.
“[The flag] isn’t meant to make people mad or hateful, but it obviously brought up some hate. This young man should be held accountable for his actions,” Parkerson said. “The property damage is minimal and easy to fix, but people need to be more aware and vigilant.”
While Parkerson is not Jewish, he said that he put a flag on one of the flagpoles outside of his office shortly after Oct. 7 to show solidarity with the Israeli people. The office has hosted many flags that have flown for years without incident, including a United States flag and a Maryland state flag.
He recalled that the flag was torn down shortly after he put it up, leading him to install security cameras. These helped him to catch the person who tore down the flag in May on film.
“I saw people putting up flags to show solidarity with Ukraine, but none for Israel,” he said. “I just thought this was the right thing to do.”
The incident was reported on by WJZ-TV shortly after it occurred, leading to more attention on Parkerson and his office. He noted that one of his clients sent him a replacement flag as a gift shortly afterward.
But Parkerson noted that the police department has told him that there is little they can do to catch the perpetrator, as they have not been able to find them or their license plate. In addition to preparing to put up a new flag, he is also seeking for the incident to be investigated as a hate crime.
“I’m not a political person or an activist,” he said. “I just have a deep sympathy for what’s happening, and somebody needs to say something.”
