Mount Pleasant official apologizes for post mixing Blue Lives Matter, Nazi flags

Mike Martindale
The Detroit News

A Mount Pleasant city commissioner spent part of Martin Luther King Day apologizing for a Facebook post that depicted a Blue Lives Matter flag partially peeled back to reveal a Nazi flag.

Amy Perschbacher, who also is the mid-Michigan city's vice mayor, posted the image on her private Facebook page with the title “Reading beneath the lines …” over a black and white U.S. flag with a partially peeled back blue line exposing a red flag emblazoned with a swastika.

Mount Pleasant Vice Mayor Amy Perschbacher posted this image, since deleted, on her Facebook page.

One reader commented under the post: “This is disgusting. What are you going to do about it?” Two others called for her removal from office, one saying, “She needs to be bounced … what a sleazy, anarchy, hate filled, pro-antisocial behavior spreading attitude. 86 her.”

“I didn’t think this through very well,” Perschbacher said when reached Monday afternoon for comment. “I should have put more context to what I was trying to say.”

Perschbacher, who is also a mental health specialist, said she was “disgusted” to see demonstrators at the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol carrying Confederate and Nazi flags along with Trump, U.S. and Blue Lives Matter flags.

“It struck me that they were wrapping themselves up in a flag which reflects respect for police while they were attacking, even killing police,” she said, adding that she first saw the image she put on her page posted by someone else. “To me, they were using the (Blue Lives Matter) flag to cover up their hatred.”

She said she posted the image without further explanation on Friday and began to find visitors directing anger at her on her Facebook page and also on the Mount Pleasant City Commission page. She has since taken the post down.

“At no time was I attempting to disrespect anyone in the military or law enforcement — I have family in both,” Perschbacher said.

Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Joseph said Monday some city offices and a commissioner were also contacted by people who were offended by the post.

“It was her private webpage and in no way does it reflect any thoughts from the city or our commission,” said Joseph. “It does not represent Mount Pleasant.”

Joseph said he had not heard of an explanation from Perschbacher and did not know if she violated any city policies or what, if any, sanctions she could face for the post.

The Blue Lives Matter flag and movement were created by police officers in 2014 advocating that those who are prosecuted and convicted of killing law enforcement officers should be sentenced under hate crime statutes.

mmartindale@detroitnews.com

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