Copyright © 1998 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

MINNESOTA The "historic" 24 star flag that flew over Fort Snelling, Minnesota was stolen in broad daylight while "historic tours" were being conducted. Yesterday a video taped was delivered to local Minneapolis tv station that was labeled "Stolen Flag -- Happy Columbus Day!"

The tape shows the flag being stolen by a man dressed in fatigues. It shows the masked man in fatigues making a statement about the 504 year resistance of indigenous people around the world. It then shows a street sign for Columbus Avenue, the main thoroughfare that connects Minneapolis to St. Paul, covered with a sign that reads "506 Years of Genocide for Indigenous People Avenue."

The "breech of security" under the noses of the Fort Snelling's (historically costumed) guards is being played down.

Hennepin County authorities are treating the video as evidence for the crime along with the rope and scalpel left behind. Reportedly the Hennepin County Sheriff's office will need to obtain a subpoena to get the tape from WCCO.

The video, taken by the "flagnappers" themselves, of the Ft. Snelling Columbus Day flag heist, can be viewed at the WCCO News site.
WCCO URL: http://www.wcco.com/news/stories/news-981015-091319.html.

The email address of Jay Maxwell, the reporter at WCCO TV station, who wrote the story on the Ft. Snelling Flag Heist story is jaymax@wcco.com. Drop him a line and tell him, which "team" you are rooting for.