TIFTON -- Raising a flag has raised controversy in Tifton.

Since Monday, the Mexican flag has been displayed at Tifton City Hall in memory of six Mexican men who were killed here during brutal attacks Sept. 30. The Mexican flag flies third on the pole under the American flag and the Georgia state flag. All of the flags are flown at half-mast.

However, some residents have taken issue with the decision to fly another country's flag along with that of the United States. Also, the move may violate federal law.

Mayor Paul Johnson made that decision. During a meeting with the Hispanic community at Our Divine Saviour Catholic Church Sunday, he was asked to do something to help alleviate the grief of the community.

"They asked if we could do something," said Johnson. "I thought immediately of the flag. After pondering it, I agreed that we would fly it."

Father Alfonso Gutierrez of Our Divine Saviour presented Johnson with a Mexican flag that had been on display in the church. Johnson pledged to fly the flag for six days -- one day for each of the men killed because of the Friday attacks.

Mateo Gomez, 54; his son Jose Luis Tias, 20; Felipe Mauricio Esparza, 32; Guadalupe Sanchez, age unknown, and Armando Perez Martinez, 25, were all slain during three robberies at local mobile home parks Friday morning. A sixth man, Maurico Florindo, age unknown, died Tuesday due to injuries received in the attacks.

Two men and a woman were charged Tuesday in the murders. Stacy Sims, 19, of Norman Park, and Jamie Underwood, 27, and Jennifer Wilson, 26, both of Moultrie, were each charged with six counts of felony murder. Sims and Underwood were also charged with rape, aggravated sodomy and two counts of aggravated assault regarding another mobile home attack earlier the same morning in Norman Park.

As all the victims were Mexicans, Johnson felt that hanging the flag of their country at City Hall would be a fitting tribute to their memory.

"I did that as an expression of sorrow to the Hispanic community," said the mayor. "It was a very emotional sign."

However, a local radio station was flooded with calls Thursday morning from residents who complained about the Mexican flag's display.

"It was brought up on our show this morning," said Chris Beckham, station manager of WTIF 107.5 and co-host of the Morning Show. "And it's been a long time since we had such an immediate response."

He said that 20 minutes before the Morning Show ended, they received a call from someone who complained about the Mexican flag and then there were six more calls back-to-back afterward. He said all of the callers were against the flag. Some said the flag did not belong while others said it was patently illegal to fly the Mexican flag along with the American flag. Beckham said his own research confirmed that it was illegal.

According to several Web sites, the United States Code states: "When flags of two nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another in time of peace."