The symbol of distress appeared Tuesday outside the U.S. Capitol, with some calling it an apt image of the state of the nation.

A social media flurry took place Tuesday after images circulated of the flag flying upside down outside the U.S. Capitol.

“The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property,” it reads.

Some reported that a hardware malfunction was to blame.

Earlier this month, a proclamation from President Joe Biden said flags should be flown at half-staff Monday marking Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Last year, according to People, upside-down American flags became protest symbols.

Some protesters marched with upside-down American flags in protests after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Roe v. Wade ruling that made abortion legal everywhere in America.

Demonstrators on the other end of the political spectrum used the upside-down U.S. flag in a wave of protests that followed the FBI’s raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

Sometimes, an upside-down flag is just a mistake.

In 2021, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice appealed for mercy on behalf of a state worker who hung the flag upside down in front of the state capitol, according to Metro News.

“It was this gentleman’s first time hanging the flag and he was switching it out at midday because the old flag was becoming tattered and worn,” Justice said, responding to social media concerns.

The man wanted a new flag “to fly high over this wonderful Capitol so that we can appropriately honor our country,” he said.

“We don’t need to humiliate or throw stones. We all make mistakes,” Justice said then.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.