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A Monday night meeting over a Palestinian flag in north suburban Lincolnwood was intense but civil much of the way before emotions spilled over among some in attendance, with one man leaving after being chastised by the mayor.

The flag that was the subject of heated debate is part of a display of about 60 international flags along Lincoln Avenue that stretches from Devon to Touhy. Several residents have recently asked that the Palestinian flag be removed, but village officials say they have no plans to do so. Community members spoke in favor of and against the flag before the village’s human relations committee.

The meeting briefly devolved into yelling toward the end.

“We’ve seen on television there are Palestinian mothers teaching their children from their youth to murder, to hate, to blow yourself up, anything for the cause,” said resident Sherry Friedman. She was asked to sit down by Mayor Gerald Turry and complied.

Many in the crowd that spilled into the aisles grew angry, and one man yelled “terrorist scum shut up.”

The man was later admonished by the mayor.

“I’m going to politely ask you to shut your mouth,” Turry told the man, who left the meeting.

Many speakers thanked the village for keeping the flag. The display is erected each August to celebrate diversity in this suburb of about 12,500, where 42 different languages are spoken in its homes, according to school data. Members of the public donate the flags, which can represent a nationality, ethnicity or country.

The display has existed since 2004 and the Palestinian flag was added last year, village officials said. There were no complaints until the last few weeks, amid skyrocketing violence in the Middle East.

Faatima Khan grew up on Devon near Lincolnwood and said she was uncomfortable that anyone there would object to a symbol of cultural pride.

“If seeing the flag hurts your feelings, maybe you should discuss that with the children who are orphans and the families who don’t have homes,” she said.

Resident Aaron Shafter disagreed, saying “until the Palestinian people properly enter a peace agreement with the people of Israel and until the United States makes a decision to recognize that state, that flag should not be flown.”

eleventis@tribune.com