Across the street a dozen protestors gathered, enraged by the company's flying of a Chinese and Taiwanese flag alongside Old Glory. Other signs protested U.S. trade with China. Some of the protestors said they would ask the county Board of Commissioners today to have the Chinese flag taken down. But the owner of The PAR Group, Jerry Henderson, disagreed. He noted that the American flag is central and highest while the flags of both Taiwan and China are at equal heights on each side of the American flag.
China is our adversary.
After about 20 minutes in front of the PAR building, one of the demonstrators broke away. On two wobbly crutches, Brooksville resident Duane Bertram gingerly made his way through the company's front lawn. While a company spokeswoman tried to calm the protestors, Bertram untied the ropes on the Taiwanese flag and started to lower it. Bertram then dropped the ropes and ambled to a bench by the company's main entrance where he rested. After about an hour, Henderson arrived back to find the protestors, whose numbers had shrunk to only a few.