What does the red stripe on the blue Lives Matter flag mean?

When we say the words thin red line, we bet the first thing that comes to mind is the movie starring Woody Harrelson, Adrien Brody, Sean Penn, and George Clooney, right? Yet some American flags are decorated not with alternating red and white stripes, but one red stripe only. What does this mean?

Table of Contents Show

What Does the Thin Red Line on the American Flag Refer To?
Is the Thin Red Line Flag Disrespectful?
What Does a Thin Yellow Line Mean? How About a Thin Gray Line?
How Can You Show Your Support of Firefighters with the Thin Red Line Flag?
National flag variants
Other flag variants
In the United Kingdom
In the United States

American flags with a thin red line honor fallen or injured firefighters and the sacrifices they’ve made. The alteration to the flag is meant as nothing but a sign of respect, but others have taken it differently, which can make the thin red line a controversial topic with some people.

If you still have questions about American flags sporting the thin red line, you won’t by the time you’re done reading this article. Ahead, we’ll talk further about what the thin red line really means as well as whether it’s disrespectful.

What Does the Thin Red Line on the American Flag Refer To?

Long before 1998 when The Thin Red Line was released in theaters, that term had already been in the vernacular. The original usage of the term in the 19th century was more in-tune with the movie’s plot: war.

The British Empire in 1854 and their 93rd Sutherland Highlanders Unit were embroiled in the Battle of Balaclava, which was a part of the broader Crimean War. When the military forces staved off the enemy with very little distance between them, a creative reporter came up with a descriptive term that eventually morphed into the thin red line.

We’re sure you’re wondering right now what the heck all that has to do with firefighting. We’re getting to that.

But before we can, we have to explain the thin blue line.

The thin blue line is a version of the American flag that features a blue base with 50 stars. Instead of 13 alternating white and red stripes though, one of the stripes is eye-catching blue.

The blue is in support of policemen, who often wear blue uniforms.

Borne from the thin blue line is the thin red line, which now doesn’t refer to war at all but is instead another variation of the US flag. Rather than a blue line under the block of stars, this flag has a red line instead.

We know what you’re going to say: okay, but all American flags have red lines. That’s why most red-line flags are grayscale so the red line stands out even more distinctively.

As for what it represents, the thin red line is in support of firefighters, especially those we’ve lost in the line of duty.

Is the Thin Red Line Flag Disrespectful?

Variations on the American flag are worth talking about more now than perhaps ever. After all, in the 2010s, the Blue Lives Matter movement began in support of NYPD police officers, which appropriated the thin blue line.

We live in a time where opinions towards police are very divisive, although that’s not so much the case with firefighters.

That’s why you might be surprised to learn that many people do view the thin red line flag as disrespectful to our country.

It’s not necessarily that everyone who shares this opinion knows the meaning of the thin red line. They just see that an American flag has been altered from its original red, white, and blue colors with 13 white and red stripes. To them, it’s a desecration of the flag, as the American flag is supposed to represent something sacred.

Others know what the thin red line (and the thin blue line, for that matter) mean. Even though they might support the intention behind the thin red line, they can’t support the perceived desecration of the American flag.

No matter your take on whether the thin red line is simply a variation of the American flag or an unacceptable desecration, there is a very viable concern that the thin red line could go in the same direction as the thin blue line.

Some worry that the thin red line could be taken in much the same context since it has a similar meaning to the thin blue line. This just amplifies the controversy.

What Does a Thin Yellow Line Mean? How About a Thin Gray Line?

Interestingly, it’s not only firefighters and policemen who have modified the American flag in support of their fallen brothers and sisters. Across related industries, you’ll see flags with central lines in a whole assortment of colors.

For instance, there’s the thin yellow line. A grayscale flag with a bright yellow line in the center is in support of dispatchers. The color might be gold rather than yellow, but the meaning is still the same.

If you see a flag with all white stripes except for one central gray stripe, this design supports corrections officers. A flag with gray stripes and only one white stripe is an ode to emergency medical services or EMS.

A thin green line is to honor the military while a thin orange line on the American flag is for search and rescue professionals.

Compared to flags with a thin red line and especially with a thin blue line, you’re a lot less likely to see American flags in these other colors. However, they do exist, and all for the same harmless reason as flags with a thin red line.

How Can You Show Your Support of Firefighters with the Thin Red Line Flag?

You don’t mind the thin red line flag as an emblem of the hard work and the many sacrifices your local fire department has made and continues to make so your town or city can be safe and happy. You’d like to show your support, but how?

Here are some avenues to consider.

Display the Flag on Your Property

You can find thin red line flags almost anywhere you search online. Wave the flag proudly on your property. As you drive by your local fire department, you’ll be heartened to see they’re doing the same. And who knows, your bold statement could inspire some shy neighbors to put out their thin red line flags as well.

Wear It on Your Clothes

You don’t only have to show your firefighter pride with a thin red line American flag. You can also purchase clothing of all sorts that features the stars and stripes with that one red line proudly displayed.

Spread Awareness in Your Neighborhood

More than likely, not everyone in your city or town knows what the thin red line on the American flag represents. Take the chance when you can to educate people in your life on what the flag represents. Many of them who might have taken offense to the thin red line flag will probably have a softer stance.

Donate to a Firefighting Organization

If you’d rather show a quieter sign of support, you can always donate to firefighting and fire responder charities and organizations. Here are some charities you might consider:

Whether you can donate only a small amount of money or a more significant quantity, any of these charitable organizations would be grateful to receive your donation! It will make a major difference in the lives of active and retired firefighters, their families, and their communities.

Finally, the thin red line is more than a movie, it’s a show of support for fallen firefighters. Although the thin red line is mired in controversy since it’s a modification of the American flag, others see it for what it is: a sign of respect, not of desecration.

Now that you understand the meaning of the thin red line, you too can better support firefighters!

The "thin blue line" is a term that typically refers to the concept of the police as the line which keeps society from descending into violent chaos.[1] The "blue" in "thin blue line" refers to the blue color of the uniforms of many police departments.

The blue line symbol

The phrase originated as an allusion to the British infantry regiment The Thin Red Line during the Crimean War in 1854, wherein the regiment of Scottish Highlanders—wearing red uniforms—famously held off a Russian cavalry charge. Its use referring specifically to the police was popularized by Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Parker during the 1950s; author and police officer Joseph Wambaugh in the 1970s, by which time "thin blue line" was used across the United States;[2] and Errol Morris's documentary The Thin Blue Line (1988).[3]

The "thin blue line" symbol has been used by the "Blue Lives Matter" movement, which began December 2014, after the homicides of NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu in Brooklyn, New York, in the wake of the homicides of Eric Garner and Michael Brown Jr earlier that year and in the context of the greater Black Lives Matter movement.[4][5][6] The "thin blue line" has also been associated with white nationalists in the US, particularly after the Unite the Right rally in 2017,[7][8] who fly Thin Blue Line flags at their rallies.[9]

The Thin Red Line

The term is derived from the Thin Red Line, a formation of the 93rd Highland Regiment of Foot of the British Army at the Battle of Balaclava in 1854, in which the Scottish Highlanders stood their ground against a Russian cavalry charge.[2] This action was widely publicized by the press and recreated in artwork, becoming one of the most famous battles of the Crimean War. The name is now used for firefighters today.

In the book Lawtalk, James Clapp and Elizabeth Thornburg say the term spread to other professions, e.g., a "thin white line of bishops".[3][10]

An early known use of the phrase "thin blue line" is from a 1911 poem by Nels Dickmann Anderson, titled "The Thin Blue Line". In the poem, the phrase is used to refer to the United States Army, alluding both to the Thin Red Line and to the fact that US Army soldiers wore blue uniforms from the eighteenth century through the nineteenth century.[2][self-published source?][11]

It is unknown when the term was first used to refer to police. New York police commissioner Richard Enright used the phrase in 1922.[3] In the 1950s, Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Parker often used the term in speeches, and he also lent the phrase to the department-produced television show The Thin Blue Line.[12] Parker used the term "thin blue line" to further reinforce the role of the LAPD.[1] As Parker explained, the thin blue line, representing the LAPD, was the barrier between law and order and social and civil anarchy.[13]

The Oxford English Dictionary records its use in 1962 by The Sunday Times referring to police presence at an anti-nuclear demonstration.[14] The phrase is also documented in a 1965 pamphlet by the Massachusetts government, referring to its state police force, and in even earlier police reports of the NYPD. By the early 1970s, the term had spread to police departments across the United States.[2] Author and police officer Joseph Wambaugh helped to further popularize the phrase with his police novels throughout the 1970s and 1980s.[3]

The term was used for the title of Errol Morris's 1988 documentary film The Thin Blue Line about the murder of the Dallas Police officer Robert W. Wood.[2] Judge Don Metcalfe, who presided over the trial of Randall Adams, states in the film that prosecutor "Doug Mulder's final argument was one I'd never heard before: about the 'thin blue line' of police that separate the public from anarchy." The judge admitted to being deeply moved by the prosecutor's words, though the trial resulted in a wrongful conviction and death sentence.[15]

According to a 2018 law review article, "thin blue line" also refers to an unwritten code of silence used to cover up police misconduct, also known as the blue wall of silence,[16] a term dating back to 1978.[17]

The "Thin Blue Line" flag is all black, bearing a single horizontal blue stripe across its center. Variations of the flag, often using various national flags rendered in black and white with a blue line through the center, are seen below. The "Blue Lives Matter" movement was created in December 2014, after the homicides of NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu in Brooklyn, New York in the wake of the homicides of Eric Garner and Michael Brown Jr earlier that year and in the context of the greater Black Lives Matter movement.[4][5][6]

The skull emblem of the Punisher comics character has become popular within the Blue Lives Matter movement, with many companies producing decals, stickers, and T-shirts featuring the Punisher emblem colored with or alongside the thin blue line.[18][10] The creator of the Punisher, Gerry Conway, has criticized this usage, saying that police who use the symbol "are embracing an outlaw mentality" and "it's as offensive as putting a Confederate flag on a government building".[19] Conway has also responded by trying to "reclaim the logo" by selling t-shirts adorned with the Punisher logo and Black Lives Matter, with sales going directly to Black Lives Matter-related charities.[20]

Variations representing professions other than law enforcement exist, such as the "thin red line" flag, representing firefighters.[21][22]

National flag variants

Australia[23]
Canada[24]
Cuba[23]
Czech Republic[23]
Finland[25]
Iceland[26]
Israel[citation needed]
Malaysia[citation needed]
Slovenia[citation needed]
Sweden[citation needed]
Ukraine[27]
United Kingdom[23]
United States[23]

Other flag variants

Hong Kong[28]
Texas[23]

A blue laser beam was projected during the 24th annual National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on 13 May 2012 in Washington, D.C.

Critics argue that the "thin blue line" represents an "us versus them" mindset that heightens tensions between officers and citizens and negatively influences police-community interactions by setting police apart from society at large.[29][30] Many groups view it as a symbol of opposition to the racial justice movement.[31] The Canadian Anti-Hate Network has stated that it often encounters Thin Blue Line and 'back the blue' symbols on social media pages used by hate groups.[32] In the USA, white supremacists were documented carrying Thin Blue Line flags alongside the Confederate battle flag and Nazi flags at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.[9][33][34]

In recent years the use and display of the Thin Blue Line symbol has attracted controversy in several communities.

In Chicago, in November 2016, counter-protesters carried the black and white US flag symbol to show support for police after the police shooting of Joshua Beal, in opposition to another group of protesters who felt the shooting was unjust and racially motivated.[35]
In Warwick, New York, the painting of a blue line down a roadway was protested by some citizens as being in opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement. The town has since painted the line red, white, and blue, the colors of the US flag.[36]
In 2017, Multnomah County Courthouse in Portland, Oregon, removed the flag after it gained notoriety with the Charlottesville demonstrators.[37]
In July 2019, the "Thin Blue Line" American Flag was put up by residents of York, Maine, as a way to pay tribute to a local police officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty decades earlier. Due to accusations of racism from members of the York Diversity Forum, Charlie Black, the son of fallen State Police Trooper Charles Black subsequently took the flag down.[38]
On May 31, 2020, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department in Cincinnati, Ohio, flew the blue line flag in place of the American flag in response to the George Floyd protests. The department tweeted that the original flag had been stolen and the blue line flag flown as a replacement in honor of the Cincinnati Police Department officer shot during the unrest.[39]
On July 30, 2020, Blue Lives Matter flags were removed from Hingham, Massachusetts fire trucks after days of controversy over whether the flags simply salute police officers or have a more divisive political message. Some townspeople had confused the flag with the genuine "Thin Blue Line" flag.[40][41]
In May 2021, the Edmonton Police Association drew criticism for flying a thin blue line flag atop their building. In response, a representative for the police association stated that they didn't "know where and how the symbolism of the blue line flag turned into being considered a racist or hateful type of thing". The police association has refused to remove the symbol.[42]
In August 2021 the village board of Mount Prospect, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, voted to remove the thin blue line flag patch from police officers' uniforms. The police chief had stated that the symbol was intended as "a memorial to police officers killed serving their community". However one trustee noted that "this patch is considered racist by many regardless of what the intent is".[43]

Since 2015, several jurisdictions have issued injunctions against the use of Thin Blue Line imagery on police uniforms or in other official capacities by emergency services.

In Canada

On October 9, 2020, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) issued a directive banning the wearing or displaying of symbols related to the Thin Blue Line by officers who are on duty. This directive was opposed by the National Police Federation, the police union that represents RCMP officers. In retaliation, the union ordered Thin Blue Line flags for all of its officers to wear against RCMP orders.[44][45][46][47] On June 5, 2021, RCMP officers engaged in removing protesters at Fairy Creek were criticized for wearing 'Thin Blue Line' patches on their uniforms despite the October 2020 directive forbidding its use.[48]
In October 2020, shortly after the RCMP directive, the Victoria Police Department in British Columbia banned Thin Blue Line flags from officers' uniforms. The police force in the neighbouring community of Saanich, British Columbia, also confirmed their injunction against police officers applying personalized decorations like the Thin Blue Line flag to their approved uniform.[49]
In February 2021, the City of Ottawa's police chief implemented uniform standards that would see any alterations, including the controversial “thin blue line” patch, banned from officers’ on-the-job attire.[50]
In May 2021, Toronto police officers were photographed wearing the thin blue line patches on their uniforms while clearing out a homeless encampment at Lamport Stadium. The police officers were reminded that the symbol was not approved by the service’s clothing committee or the chief of police. This followed a similar incident in 2020 when a Toronto police officer was ordered to immediately remove a patch featuring a version of the thin blue line superimposed over the black skull symbol used by the Punisher comic book character.[32]

In Iceland

In October 2020, a photo of an Icelandic police officer was the subject of controversy among the population. In the photo, the officer was wearing a Vinland flag as well as the Thin Blue Line flag overlaid on the Icelandic flag.[26][51] On 12 May 2021, Minister of Justice Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir issued new regulations that, in part, banned the adornment of these symbols on official police uniform.[52][53]

In the United Kingdom

In 2015, police officers in Sussex, England were instructed by their supervisors to remove a badge from their uniforms with a blue line across a union jack on the grounds that it was not part of their official uniform and could be seen as a political statement related to cutbacks in police forces.[54]

In the United States

In 2017, following an incident in Riviera Beach, Florida where a group of police officers flew thin blue line flags on their personal vehicles, an order was issued by their captain to remove the flags.[55]
In May 2020, officers of the SFPD were forbidden from wearing non-medical face masks with "Thin Blue Line" symbols on the job. The SFPD chief of police, Bill Scott, stated that this decision was made "in consideration of concerns some community members have expressed that 'thin blue line' symbolism on some of our officers' face masks may be perceived as divisive or disrespectful".[56]
On June 1, 2020, the Middletown, Connecticut Police Chief, William McKenna, made a joint statement along with the mayor of the city, Ben Florsheim, stating that they would be removing the flag from public view at the Middletown Police Department. A change.org petition that garnered over 1,300 signatures for the flags to be removed in wake of the murder of George Floyd influenced the city to make the choice.[57]
In November 2020, the chief of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department banned use of the flag by officers while on duty on the grounds that the symbol had become associated with 'extremists'.[58] In a statement on January 15, 2021, Chief Roman said that extremists had "visibly co-opted the thin blue line flag".[59]
In May 2021, the towns of Manchester, South Windsor, Middletown, and Willimantic, all in Connecticut, banned or removed Thin Blue Line flags from their towns. In South Windsor, the flags were removed after the chief of police expressed concerns about displaying the flag. In Manchester, the flags were banned under a new city injunction against banners representing “a particular religious movement or creed,” political party flags and flags “that enable violence, discrimination, prejudice, or racism.”[9]

Blue wall of silence
The Thin Blue Lie, a television film about police brutality in Philadelphia under the mayorship of Frank Rizzo
Militarization of police

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