A Freeport woman’s efforts to raise awareness about the plight of refugees has led to a high-profile dust-up with the Freeport Flag Ladies.

Every Tuesday morning on the corner of School and Main streets, the flag ladies and supporters wave American flags in honor of people killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. On Dec. 15, they crossed the street rather than create a possible conflict with Liza Moore, who stood in their spot and held up signs supporting Syrian and other refugees.

Based on an incident on Dec. 1 in a local coffee shop, the flag ladies on Dec. 5 obtained a protection order against Moore’s son, James Roux III. Flag lady Elaine Greene said last Thursday that Roux was acting unruly toward them at the coffee shop and had trespassed at their home, and police advised the protection order.

Greene said that she, JoAnn Miller and Carmon Footer considered Moore’s action on the sidewalk Dec. 15 to be a deliberate, antagonist move.

“To stand there and get into a fisticuff with somebody is not in the spirit of the American people,” Greene said. “That’s not why we’re out there. We never go out to tell people what to think. That’s not what we do. That’s not what our mission is about.”

She said it was apparent to the three of them that Moore was looking for a confrontation when she took their exact spot on the sidewalk on the morning of Dec. 15.

“She was standing exactly where we stand and we didn’t want to have a confrontation, so we moved,” Greene said. “It was pretty obvious she wanted to have some sort of confrontation, but we didn’t let it happen.”

Greene said she was not sure if the women would move on Tuesday, Dec. 22, from their accustomed position. The rally was held after the Tri-Town Weekly publication deadline.

Moore, a part-time teacher at Mast Landing School, whose former husband, James M. Roux, died when one of the planes crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center, wasn’t sure, either.

“I’ll go (Tuesday) and maybe they’ll get there earlier than us,” Moore said. “But I will stand on that side of the street if they’re not there first.”

Moore has showed up for Tuesday morning demonstrations since Dec. 1, but did not take the same spot as the flag ladies. She said she chose Tuesday to hold up her signs – mostly on behalf of Syrian refugees – because she knew the flag ladies would be there, and that’s when people are looking for some kind of activity at the location.

“We need to raise awareness,” she said. “We need to raise awareness for refugees and homeless people.”

Greene said it makes no sense to disrupt the flag ladies’ activities.

“It’s craziness,” she said. “All we do is mind our own business and promote the American spirit. We never go out there to tell people what to think. That’s not what we do. That’s not what our mission is about. I believe in her freedom of speech. I just believe she is doing it in the wrong way.”

Moore doubts that the message of the Freeport Flag Ladies is nonpolitical.

“I don’t believe that’s true,” she said. “They use the flag to say that they’re patriotic, and I can’t help but think that they think I’m not.”

The flag ladies, meanwhile, are scheduled to be back at West Bath District Court on Jan. 4 in an attempt to extend the temporary protection-from-abuse order against Roux, who, the flag ladies say, has been harassing them. Police arrested him on a charge of disorderly conduct during the 9/11ceremony in Freeport this year in which the flag ladies participated outside the public safety building. The criminal complaint has been dropped by the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office.

On Dec. 1, Roux showed up to stand with his mother as she was demonstrating.

Roux issued a brief statement last week to the Tri-Town Weekly via a Facebook message.

“I’m proud of my mom,” Roux said. “I support refugees and I believe America’s greatest strength is compassion. I have no comment beyond that.”