A man was arrested Monday evening for burning an American flag in Lafayette Park, just hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing prosecutions of flag desecration.
The U.S. Secret Service said the man was detained around 6:15 p.m. for “igniting an object” and turned over to the U.S. Park Police, which charged him with violating federal park rules banning unauthorized fires. Authorities declined to release his name until charges are formalized.
In video published by The Bulwark, the man identified himself as a U.S. Army veteran with more than 20 years of service. Using a bullhorn, he declared, “I fought for every single one of your rights … There’s a First Amendment right to burn the American flag. No president can make a law, period.” He called Trump an “illegal fascist president.”
The 1989 Supreme Court ruling in Texas v. Johnson established that flag burning is constitutionally protected speech. Trump’s new order has already drawn criticism from across the political spectrum, with opponents arguing it is unconstitutional.
Sources
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
