Man Arrested Near White House for Burning US Flag to Protest Trump’s Order

By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that a protester has been arrested outside the White House after setting fire to an American flag in open defiance of President Donald Trump’s new executive order calling for legal action against flag burning.
OTN News further reports as gathered that the incident occurred earlier this week in Lafayette Park, just hours after Trump signed an order directing the Justice Department to pursue prosecutions of individuals who burn the US flag.
OTN News observes from the information gathered that the directive has sparked controversy, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that flag desecration is constitutionally protected under the First Amendment.
According to video circulating on social and local media, the man used a bullhorn to declare his protest before lighting the flag, which appeared to have been doused in accelerant.
“I’m burning this flag as a protest to that illegal fascist president that sits in that house,” he shouted, pointing toward the White House.
Identifying himself as a 20-year combat veteran, he added: “I fought for every single one of your rights to express yourself. It’s our First Amendment right to burn this flag regardless of what the president says.”
Secret Service agents quickly extinguished the flames with a fire extinguisher before detaining the man. The US Park Police later confirmed the arrest, citing regulations that prohibit setting unpermitted fires in public parks such as Lafayette.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of a landmark 1989 Supreme Court decision, in which the justices struck down prohibitions against flag desecration in a narrow 5-4 ruling. The court reaffirmed that decision the following year, ruling again that burning the flag is a form of protected expression.
However, Trump has suggested that flag burning could be restricted if it falls under First Amendment exemptions, such as when the act “is likely to incite imminent lawless action.”
Trump directed the Justice Department to “prioritize the enforcement to the fullest extent possible” of laws related to flag burning.
It however, remains unclear how the current Supreme Court, which now has a 6-3 conservative majority, would approach the precedent set more than three decades ago.
Legal analysts say the White House move may set the stage for another constitutional showdown over the balance between free expression and patriotic symbolism.
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