American Flag Burned By Protester Gets Respectful Folding By Police — 186,000+ Facebook Video Views, ‘Black Lives Matter’ Buzz [Video]
It was an American flag burned by a protester that got new life. The Milwaukee Police Department uploaded a video to their Facebook page 10 hours ago, at approximately 12:40 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11. Veteran’s Day, as it were, the appropriate day for showing the respect to the American flag that the cops felt the flag deserved.
Within 10 hours, the American flag-folding video has received 186,000 views and counting as it goes viral on Facebook and beyond.Milwaukee police officers ceremoniously fold flag burned by protester: https://t.co/Wio1Svo9ud pic.twitter.com/G6LfiAZnOM
— TMJ4 News (@tmj4) November 11, 2015
The description of the Facebook video tells what precipitated the flag burning and flag folding event.
“OFFICERS CEREMONIOUSLY FOLD AMERICAN FLAG BURNED BY PROTESTER
Milwaukee Police Officers Joel Rossman, Jedidiah Thompson and Jutiki X gave honors to a flag tattered and burned by a protester. This evening brought thousands to downtown Milwaukee for the theater, basketball game and the debate. During one demonstration, a protester set an American Flag on fire.
Milwaukee Police Officers, seeing the burning flag in the crowd, immediately grabbed a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. The plume from the fire extinguisher prompted reports of tear gas being used. These reports were false.
The flag was taken to be inventoried for possible charges against the protester.
Milwaukee police officers later conducted a small, dignified ceremony to properly fold the flag before placing it on inventory.”
The fact that the Milwaukee cops immediately put out the fire on the burning American flag and folded it with the respect seen given to American flags during the funerals of military veterans has struck a chord in the hearts of Americans across the nation. On social media, the images of the police folding the burned American flag are spreading like wildfire.
Going viral: @MilwaukeePolice properly fold a damaged American flag after protesters set it on fire last night. pic.twitter.com/Nix18lP59N
— Tim Elliott NBC15 (@TheTimReport) November 11, 2015
A search for “flag” on Twitter results in a variety of images and some news reports about the flag-burning incident that occurred outside of the GOP debate, as reported by JS Online.
Protestor burned American flag. Officers quickly put it out. Confiscated it. #GOPDebate @fox6now pic.twitter.com/h00AESxQdX
— Ben Handelman (@BenHandelman) November 11, 2015
There was a protest held on Tuesday evening, with thousands of people reportedly circling around downtown Milwaukee when police officers were spotted eventually folding the American flag that had been burned by a protester.
“Thousands of people were downtown Tuesday night for various events, including the debate, demonstrations and the Bucks game. During the course of the night, police saw a burning American flag set on fire by a protester near N. 4th St. and W. Kilbourn Ave. and put it out using a fire extinguisher.”
As the Milwaukee police reported, no tear gas was used, despite rumors to the contrary about a plume of smoky substance in the air. Instead of tear gas, the plume was likely the original flame’s smoke from the burned American flag, combined with the fire extinguisher residue wafting into the air.
Flag burner outside of GOP debate. #GOPDebate #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/B1BpZIZ0ov
— Brendan O'Brien (@newsobrien) November 11, 2015
According to online buzz, it was a “Black Lives Matter” participant who burned the American flag that police officers eventually rescued from being burned and folded ceremoniously, in triangle folds. However, reports have not confirmed that it was a “Black Lives Matter” protester that burned the American flag.
A protester burns the American flag in front of the site of the Republican presidential debate @WISN12News pic.twitter.com/eYNlUdUU5h
— Terry Sater (@noozdude1) November 10, 2015
The GOP debate was used to get national attention, reports WISN Milwaukee, by groups such as Black Lives Matter and others, as Milwaukee police officers put out the burning American flag and folded the flag instead. According to WISN, Black Lives Matter and other participants were protesting, but it doesn’t name the “Black Lives Matter” group as the responsible flag-burning party, despite rumors to the contrary.
[Image via Facebook / Milwaukee Police Dept.]