Over 400 trans Pride flags were removed from a memorial marking the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) on Boston Common last week. Authorities are still searching for the culprits as advocates grapple with what they describe as a hate crime.The Boston-based nonprofit Queer Neighborhood Council obtained a city permit to install the flags in the downtown Boston park on November 16, ahead of TDOR on November 20, local CBS affiliate WBZ reports. The annual international day of remembrance honors trans and gender-expansive people who have died by transphobic violence. The hundreds of flags on Boston Common represented the lives lost to transphobic violence since January 2020 alone. Related Remembering 366+ trans and gender-diverse lives lost in 2025: Trans Day of Remembrance Queer Neighborhood Council executive director Jack Imbergamo told WBZ that on the morning of November 17, he received an email from someone saying theyd witnessed the flags being pulled from the Boston Common lawn. We had talked about that being a possibility, but I dont think it could have prepared me for it, Imbergamo said. I wasnt prepared to be as upset as I was. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Authorities so far have no leads on the perpetrator of the vandalism.Boston stands with our trans neighbors and firmly against all hate, discrimination or violence, a spokesperson for the city said in a statement. Our residents should feel safe and supported in every neighborhood across the City. No act of prejudice is tolerated here we will continue to work with BPD to assess the situation and identify those who are responsible.In its own statement posted on Instagram on TDOR, the Queer Neighborhood Council condemned the hateful act of vandalism. This act is not simple vandalism; it is a hate crime that directly echoes the very violence and prejudice that TDOR was established to condemn, the statement read. The removal of this public, permitted memorial is a brutal reminder that the hate which spurs anti-trans violence is alive and active in our City and our communities.Mayor Michelle Wus (D) office worked with the Queer Neighborhood Council to find a protected site for the memorial, WCVB reports, and the flags have since been installed at the Rita Hester Community Green in Allston.But Imbergamo told WBZ that the organization intends to reinstall the memorial on Boston Common next year.Were just going to move forward, he said. Were just going to keep going, put one foot in front of the other.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.