Washington State Patrol officials issued a formal apology after at least 50 graduating Patrol Troopers interrupted the raising of the Pride flag at the state capitol in Olympia on Wednesday.

The Washington State LGBTQ Commission and the Rainbow Alliance and Inclusion Network (the LGBTQ+ Business Resource Group for state employees) hosted the flag raising. Gov. Bob Ferguson spoke at the event alongside other government officials.

Each year, every graduating trooper class marches up the stairs of the state’s capitol building into the rotunda where the graduation is held, Chris Loftis, WSP’s director of public affairs, said. This year’s Trooper Basic Training graduation ceremony coincided with the 10th annual Pride flag raising at the state capitol.

Loftis said an alternate marching route

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