Fallout from a recent flag-banning student government resolution at the University of California - Irvine (UCI) has far overshadowed what its endorsers originally intended for it.

Three members of the Associated Students of UCI (ASUCI) recently released a statement on Facebook to explain the backstory of the controversial resolution, R50-70, that would have banned all national flags from student government offices.

Matthew Tsai, Negar Fatahi and Naty Rico co-signed the statement and identified themselves as ASUCI Legislative Council members who voted for the bill.

"We voted with the intention of creating a safe, inclusive space for all individuals after being approached about conflicts between other members of ASUCI surrounding a U.S. flag," the three students wrote. "The flag was put up by an anonymous ASUCI member in January 2015. Over the ensuing month, other students who became involved would continuously take the flag down."

They said matter "escalated" to the point where students were bringing it to the ASUCI Legislative Council's attention. The students indicated there was never an American flag or any other national flag in the offices beforehand and their bill was an attempt to restore that.

But the reaction to the bill was far beyond what they anticipated. ASUCI President Reza Zomorrodian and the university's Chancellor, Howard Gillman, both openly opposed R50-70. Students who spoke to various news outlets also indicated the resolution did not represent what they would have wanted.

R50-70 passed with a six-to-four vote on Thursday, but the ASUCI's Executive Cabinet vetoed it on Saturday. The university also scheduled a meeting Tuesday night to discuss the matter, but cancelled when they received a credible threat of violence.

"Regarding the executive veto on R50-70, we have no intention of overriding it," the three students' statement read. "We believe the matter will be properly handled by the action of the executive officers, and so, in this matter, entrust the governance of the common space to them."