After complaints, Danish police tell family to lower American flag or face fine

The Hedegard family had been flying an American flag in the garden of their Kolding home in southern Denmark for the last month, the Local reported.

But it seems some folks who got an eyeful of Old Glory were none too pleased at the sight and reported the matter to authorities, the outlet said.

Thing is, Denmark’s official flag rules state that flying another nation’s flag isn’t permitted, save for special authorization. If permission is granted, it’s usually done so on the condition that a Danish flag of at least equal size fly alongside the other nation’s flag.

So police visited the Hedegard home Monday and asked them to lower the Stars & Stripes, Jydske Vestkysten reported, according to the Local. The consequences for not doing so? A $375 fine.

Rikke Hedegard told Jydske Vestkysten she was upset that nobody told her about the issue before cops showed up her door.

“My thoughts are that if someone was so offended, why didn’t they stop by and mention it?” she told Jydske Vestkysten. “We go outside almost every day, so just stop by and listen to our story.”

A 57-year-old from a neighboring town had been driving past the Hedegard home on her way to work and finally had enough last Friday and filed a complaint with police.

“If they had just flown the American flag on July 4 or for a couple of days, I would not have given it any thought,” Kirsten — who wanted only her first name used — told Danish daily Jyllands-Posten. “We have the world’s oldest flag. We could also just be a little proud of that.”

For Hedegard, the American flag in her family’s garden was there because they enjoy American culture.

“We feel we are a part of American culture in Denmark,” she told Jydske Vestkysten.

“I could understand if it was a Nazi or ISIS flag,” she said, “but an American flag, I don’t understand that at all.”