The Tea Party's attempt to have the Gadsden "Don't Tread On Me" Colonial-era flag fly above the Connecticut State Capitol Building in Hartford failed. At first, the CT State Police approved the flag's appearance, but then rescinded the offer when they realized that the Tea Party would be having a political rally outside the capitol as well.
According to the Hartford Courant, Bill Shields noticed that a flag for the Dominican Republic was flying above the capitol and he thought, "Wouldn't it be nice to have the Gadsden Flag up there?" He also claims he wanted to commemorate Patriots Day. (Apparently the flag has been associated with the U.S. Marines Corps, though it has recently "become a familiar sight at tea party gatherings across the nation, where activists have embraced it as a symbol of American defiance.")
After a 1999 incident where some were upset about a rainbow flag for gay rights flown over the capitol, the State Police have restricted what flags get the okay. No matter: The Tea Party Patriots are bringing their own flagpole to fly the Gadsden Flag, though coordinator Tanya Bachand wonders, "The flag itself way predates our movement. Since when did liberty become a controversial topic?"
