One Day After Cancelling July 4 Fireworks, Buffalo, NY, Celebrates Somali Independence Day

It appears that Minnesota officials aren’t the only ones putting their Somali residents first.

Buffalo, New York, has announced two things in a very unfortunate succession of events in a 24-hour period.

First, according to Spectrum News, there will not be a fireworks display this Saturday for the Fourth of July.

Second, the city wishes everyone a very happy Somali Independence Day. A group that included a city council member raised the Somali flag above City Hall to mark the nation’s independence from Italian and British colonialism on July 1, 1960.

This is a prime example of our officials putting America last.

The Somali National News Agency posted about the raising of the flag Wednesday on social media platform X, writing, “The Somali flag was raised in front of Buffalo City Hall in New York State on 1 July 2026, as the local Somali community gathered to mark Somalia’s Independence Day in a ceremony promoted by a Buffalo city council member.

“From Mogadishu to Buffalo, the flag rose on the same day.”

The Somali flag was raised in front of Buffalo City Hall in New York State on 1 July 2026, as the local Somali community gathered to mark Somalia’s Independence Day in a ceremony promoted by a Buffalo city council member.
From Mogadishu to Buffalo, the flag rose on the same day.… pic.twitter.com/PW24BkxfRG

— SONNA (@SONNALIVE) July 1, 2026

After shaking off the yoke of colonialism from Great Britain and Italy in the 1960s, Somalia has not seen a sustained period of peace.

Conciliation Resources, an international peace organization, noted that by 1988, a civil war broke out that saw the deaths of 50,000 insurgents who were part of the Somali National Movement.

The country had already fought a war with Ethiopia from 1977-78.

Somalis describe December 1991 to March 1992 as “burbur,” meaning catastrophe. Clan fighting and factionalism saw more chaos. In Mogadishu, 25,000 people died, with 1.5 million fleeing the country. A period of “clan cleansing” ensued, along with a drought and disruptions in food supply lines.

Another 250,000 people died.

Somalia hasn’t exactly been a bastion of prosperity and goodwill.

Whatever the adverse impacts of colonialism, this is the independence we now see being celebrated.

Spectrum noted the fireworks display’s cancellation was due to safety concerns. “A city spokesperson said an appropriate site to hold a safe and widely accessible display was not identified,” the outlet reported.

Granted, a flag-raising ceremony is easier to host than a fireworks show, but it’s the principle that matters here.

This move is a part of a troubling pattern of putting Americans — their values and history in this case – last. Fox News reported Wednesday that Buffalo was not alone, as Columbus, Ohio, also attempted to raise the Somali flag as well, prompting public outrage.

A mantra in immigration discourse goes as follows: Love the country you live in, or live in the country you love.

If Somalis are proud to be from Somalia, that’s not a problem.

Find the nearest airport and go home.

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