Hundreds Gather in Alabama to Protest Removal of Christian Flag From City Hall

Hundreds of Christians gathered this week in Alabama to protest the removal of a Christian flag from the local City Hall after the Freedom From Religion Foundation demanded that the flag come down.

About 500 supporters attended a United We Stand rally in front of City Hall in Glencoe, Alabama on Saturday to protest the removal of the Christian flag.

The city reportedly had to remove the flag or face possible litigation with the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which sent a letter to the city demanding that the flag be removed.

Glencoe Mayor Charles Gilchrist told the local WBRC-TV affiliate that engaging the Freedom From Religion Foundation in a legal battle could result in $50,000 in legal fees, a financial blow that Gilchrist says could "ruin" the small town.

"That would just about ruin us," Gilchrist told the local media outlet. "That's what they do, they pick on these smaller towns that can't defend ourselves."

In response to the flag being removed from Glencoe's City Hall, the owner of a small restaurant in town decided to take it upon himself to fly the flag in front of his business.

Jeff Word, owner of the Big Chief Drive-In in Glencoe, told Al.com that he decided to fly the flag next to the sign promoting his restaurant.

Word told the local media outlet that his wife told him he needed to "take a stand" and fly the flag.

"I think our freedoms are leaving us gradually, as we once knew them," he said. "It was one person that took prayer out of school. I felt like I needed to be that 'one person' in this case. I feel like I'm a private businessman and it's my right to fly the flag."