Why are people flying their American flags upside down?

We did it. We're finally fighting back. We're really showing it to the Supreme Court. We're…flying the American flag, but upside down.

Some folks are protesting the nation's recent Supreme Court decisions by flying their American flags upside down. This comes after the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court ruling on Friday that overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion, and Thursday's ruling that limits state and local government in restricting guns outside the home.

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According to the U.S. Flag Code, flying the American flag shouldn't be flown upside down — with the stars at the bottom — "except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property." U.S. Flag Code is officially a law, but there aren't any federal punishments or enforcement for people who don't follow the code, according to Cornell Law School. So, it's not a particularly useful law. It sets the rules for when the American flag can be flown at half-staff (mourning) and how the flag shouldn't be used (for clothes, bedding, or drapery). 

So protesters are flying their flags upside down in response to what they see as a nation in distress. It's one of the many forms of peaceful protest that aren't particularly radical, but can be useful in making people feel like they're doing something when they feel helpless, or showing your neighbors where you align politically and that you're a safe space for certain folks.

Forms of peaceful protests can help people find community when they feel frustrated and alone, can help to share resources, and can result in real change — like the 1963 March on Washington, which successfully pressured the government to pass a civil rights bill. Or take 2020's Black Lives Matter protests, which led to fewer legislative progress than the March on Washington but still important societal moves, like the removal of confederate symbols and marking Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Putting up signs in your yard and attending peaceful marches can be an important way to show your support for movements, but activists and organizers encourage supporters to not feel that they've done enough work by simply flying a flag upside down. One of the problems with participating in demonstrations that don't put real pressure on those who hold actual power is that it can feel like you've done something to push the movement forward when, in reality, you have not.

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If you've decided to fly a flag upside down, you can also show your support in ways that actually enact change — which, to be clear, putting a sign in your yard or changing the direction of your American flag will likely not do. You can volunteer, educate yourself and those close to you, donate money, and think locally about how you can help people who are the most vulnerable.