WATERTOWN — Three groups can raise their flags in front of City Hall for the last time.

Organizers of the Juneteenth and LGBTQ Pride celebrations and supporters of Israel can fly their flags in front on City Hall for three already approved events.

But those will be the last.

In a 4-1 vote, the City Council on Monday night decided to ban all flag raising events in front of City Hall after those events take place.

Only the U.S., New York and POW-MIA flags will be allowed to be flown in front of City Hall after next month.

For several years, local LGBTQ Pride and Juneteenth leaders have said their flag- raising events have helped them feel they are welcomed and accepted into the community.

Councilman Cliff G. Olney III cast the only vote against banning flag-raising events, contending that they are “a freedom of expression” that shows that the city promotes “diversity in the community.”

“We’re moving backward, not frontward, in my opinion,” Olney said.

Council members were ready to stop the events immediately, but Councilwoman Lisa A. Ruggiero said “it would not be fair” to the three groups that were already given permission to hold the flag raising events during the next few weeks.

Councilman Robert O. Kimball said that the city could be subject to a lawsuit if it turns down an organization but allows another group to raise its flag.

During the 30-minute discussion, City Attorney Kristin Smith agreed that the city could face a lawsuit if it was not careful in the way it would restrict a controversial group from flying its flag in front of City Hall.

In saying there’s no need to single out groups, Councilman Benjamin J. Shoen said that the U.S. flag represents everyone in the country, so other flags shouldn’t have been allowed in the first place.

In a packed City Hall with more than 50 people, six people spoke against prohibiting flag raising events, including two who said it was discriminatory to no longer allow the raising of the Israeli flag.

Before the vote, Tyler De Tomi told council members that he and his husband moved to Watertown after seeing the LGBTQ Pride flag fly in front of City Hall and felt it was a welcoming community.

After the vote, Kari Knight, president of NNY Pride, said that the city can still show it is a welcoming community.

“We’re fighting the good fight,” she said. “That’s what we’re going to do.”

Bianca Ellis, who organizes the Juneteenth weekend, told council members that the national holiday is a way to show support for the African American soldiers at Fort Drum.

She was disappointed that council made the decision to end the flag raisings.

“It’s not about a specific group,” she said. “It’s a national holiday. It’s about what happened in this country.”

Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. The Juneteenth committee will hold a weekend of events to celebrate.

The LBGTQ community will raise the Gay Pride flag on June 15.

The Israeli flag will fly in front of City Hall on May 14. It was a recent request to raise the Israeli flag that prompted the move to end the flag raisings, as the Israeli government has continued its retaliation in Gaza after the Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.