GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- A photo of several Grand Junction High School students protesting Colorado's mandatory Pledge of Allegiance law by giving the Nazi salute has angered the city's Jewish community.

"Hopefully it's an ignorant mistake," said David Eisner, president of Grand Junction's Ohr Shalom congregation and a 1966 graduate of the high school. "I understand that these are pretty good kids and I don't think they were trying to espouse any Nazi ideals."

Eisner said he was concerned, however, that the teacher in the classroom tolerated the salute until this week.

Sophomore Had Stine, 15, started the salute in his honors English class at the beginning of the school year and was joined by two fellow students, Scott Link and Chris Langford.

"It's not about Naziism," Stine said. "We were protesting what we thought was a fascist law. I didn't mean to offend any minority or any ethnic group."

The photo of Stine and the others giving the Nazi salute appeared this week in the high-school's student-run paper.

Stine said his English teacher asked all three protesters Wednesday to sit during the pledge.

"We haven't gotten in any trouble," Stine said. "She took us aside and asked us to sit down."

The law requiring all Colorado public school students to say the Pledge of Allegiance took effect Aug. 6.

The American Civil Liberties Union challenged the law soon after and U.S. District Judge Lewis Babcock issued a temporary injunction on Aug. 15, calling the law divisive and discriminatory.

Babcock blocked the law for nine months to give lawmakers a chance to rework the measure.

Colorado Education Commissioner Bill Moloney told all of the state's school superintendents on Oct. 2 that the temporary injunction blocking the mandatory pledge law applied to every public school in the state.

"At this point the pledge is voluntary," said Jeff Kirtland, spokesman for School District 51.

District 51 supervisor Tim Mills said he doubted the school board would take any disciplinary action against Stine and the others.

The Grand Junction High School student newspaper was named the best large high school newspaper in the state last week.

The award was given to the newspaper at the Colorado High School Press Association newspaper conference Oct. 6 at Colorado State University.