Silverton, Colorado, Mayor Shane Fuhrman announced that the Pledge of Allegiance would be banned at trustee meetings and faced nearly immediate backlash.

“Due to direct and indirect threats, inappropriate comments in and out of public meetings and general divisiveness and issues created in our community, we will not be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance during Town of Silverton trustee meetings,” he announced during the June 14 meeting, Fox 31 News reported.

In response, attendees recited the pledge during the public comment period, FoxNews.com reported, causing the mayor to declare them out of order.

“To tell members of the public they are not allowed to say the Pledge of Allegiance during public comment and threaten to have them removed that it was one strike in you’re out policy violates every single one of their first amendment rights,” trustee Molly Barela said in a statement to Fox 31.

Republican Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert also supported those who recited the Pledge of Allegiance and called out the mayor over what she called “an anti-American disgrace” on Twitter. “Mayor Fuhrman should resign and purchase a one-way ticket to China where he won’t have worry about hearing the pledge!”