A Christian flag has been allowed to fly again at a veterans memorial in King, N.C. after city officials had earlier decided to remove it over fears of an expensive First Amendment lawsuit.

The King City Council voted 4-0 on Monday night to develop a policy that would allow religious flags recognized by the U.S. military to fly in a limited display, the Winston-Salem Journal reported.

The council originally decided to remove the flag to avoid a lawsuit brought by a veteran who complained that the Christian flag violated his First Amendment rights.

Residents, angered by the flag's removal, flew the Christian flag from private homes and storefronts in a sign of protest. More than 5,000 people attended a rally in the city on Oct. 23, urging the city council to return the flag to the memorial.

City officials said they plan to spend two months working out the policy's details with their attorneys and that the flag will stay down until the new rules are in place, the Journal reported.