Ferguson Protesters Set Fire To American Flag
Protesters in Ferguson have set an American flag ablaze after another night of rioting and protests over the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, and the decision by the grand jury clearing of the officer, Darren Wilson, who killed him.
A crowd swarmed outside the Ferguson Police Department’s headquarters as a youth held the burning flag above a drain grate. Other protesters looked on while some proceeded to the film the burning of the flag.
Look. #ISIS is 10k miles away. The #Ferguson #Looters are on US soil, burning the US flag and #American property. pic.twitter.com/Kg9hInHrZw
— John Dee (@brokencountry1) November 30, 2014
The act sparked discussions on whether it was un-American to desecrate the Star Spangled Banner.
Burning the American flag that symbolizes the men and women who came before us and still serve to protect our freedom is wrong, period.
— Jake Richards (@JakeRICHards101) November 25, 2014
I understand the outrage and anger…but burning the American flag is disrespectful to the men and women who sacrificed their lives for us
— The Smoothest™ (@ShannonMoorer) November 25, 2014
Stop focusing on the US flag being burnt and focus on the real problem: the reason they’re burning it. #JusticeForMikeBrown
— Sydney M (@Sydnaynaayy) November 25, 2014
It was once illegal in almost every state to burn the United States flag however, the Supreme Court overturned the aforementioned law in 1989 deciding that it violated the First Amendment of citizens.
The ongoing protest follows the resignation of Darren Wilson after a grand jury decided not to indict him, sparking days of sometimes violent protests in Ferguson and other cities across the U.S.
In his resignation letter, Wilson cites the impact that his current employment may put other police offices at risk.
“I, Darren Wilson, hereby resign my commission as a police officer with the City of Ferguson effective immediately. I have been told that my continued employment may put the residents and police officers of the City of Ferguson at risk, which is a circumstance that I cannot allow. For obvious reasons, I wanted to wait until the grand jury made their decision before I officially made my decision to resign. It was my hope to continue in police work, but the safety of other police officers and the community are of paramount importance to me. It is my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal. I would like to thank all of my supporters and fellow officers throughout this process.”
Earlier today, several St. Louis Rams players, including receivers Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt, showed their support by doing the “hands up, don’t shoot” signal that has become popular among protesters in Ferguson.
[Image via The DailyMail; AP/Jeff Roberson]
