GREAT FALLS – Great Falls Mayor Michael Winters and tea party officials have issued a joint statement agreeing to get along following a heated confrontation earlier this month involving an upside down U.S. flag that has had residents of this central Montana city buzzing for more than a week.
“This story ends right now,” said Winters. “This is done.”
“We basically stand united,” said tea party leader Cyndi Baker.
The statement issued on Friday also said that Winters plans to attend a tea party protest rally on Thursday.
Winters on April 2 confronted a tea party rally because demonstrator Keith Ochs was flying an American flag upside down in what Ochs called a symbol of distress.
Winters said he used coarse language in confronting the tea party protesters but said he was acting as a veteran, not a city official.
Much of the city became involved in discussing the dispute that raised topics such as respect for the U.S. flag, First Amendment rights, the goals of the tea party and proper behavior for a public official.
The two sides kept the discussion going during the week with Winters characterized as a loose cannon and tea party participants pegged as unpatriotic.
On Friday, the rhetoric was toned down.
“We believe that there was a misunderstanding, and things have been blown out of proportion,” said Baker. “I don’t think there ever were hard feelings. I think it’s really important that we let the community heal.”