Mayor de Blasio is turning the Big Apple into a sanctuary city — for hypocrisy!
While Hizzoner welcomes illegal immigrants to New York City with open arms, his administration just quietly banned the display of foreign flags on the poles in city parks, The Post has learned.
The move killed a decades-long tradition of hoisting international colors in Bowling Green Park to welcome visiting dignitaries and celebrate holidays like St. Patrick’s Day.
Arthur Piccolo, president of the Bowling Green Association, said he got permission from the late Parks Commissioner Henry Stern to install a second flagpole there — next to the one that flies Old Glory — in 1996.
It was paid for by Greek-American coffee-cart owners to honor the 175th anniversary of Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire. Since then, Piccolo has hosted about 20 ceremonies a year — always getting permits until he recently tried to get one to raise the Mexican flag next month for Cinco de Mayo, records show.
In a Monday e-mail rejecting Piccolo’s appeal of the ruling, Parks Department lawyer David Lepard said, “There is a risk that hoisting a foreign flag on a City-owned flagpole could be interpreted as ‘government speech.’
“To the extent that such activity was previously allowed by Parks Permit, that was an error,” Lepard added.
Piccolo expressed outrage at the abrupt about-face, saying, “Any other logical mayor would be going out of his way to help and support this kind of activity.
“This is complete hypocrisy on the part of de Blasio and his administration that professes to be the champion of immigrant rights.
“I mean, how dumb is this guy? This could be a great tool for him — instead, he comes out and takes the ultimate step to prevent this from happening again.”
Piccolo also suggested the move was retaliation for his opposition to the “Fearless Girl” statue, which had stared down Wall Street’s famed “Charging Bull.”
Last year, De Blasio was photographed posing next to “Fearless Girl,” and tweeted: “Men who don’t like women taking up space are exactly why we need the Fearless Girl.”
A City Hall spokeswoman denied any retaliation against Piccolo and said the new policy applied to everyone seeking a permit.
Additional reporting by Bruce Golding
