A 21-year-old man who said he burned a cross in Chicago’s Grant Park earlier this month is now facing hate crime charges in the case.
Chicago police announced Wednesday night Merlin Lu has been charged with a felony hate crime charge and several other charges in the June 9 incident, during which he allegedly erected a cross in Chicago’s Grant Park and lit it on fire.
Lu also faces felony charges of arson and criminal damage to property, along with multiple misdemeanors including reckless conduct and disorderly conduct.
Lu was arrested on Monday according to Chicago police, with the FBI, Illinois State Police, University of Chicago Police, and the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force participating in the investigation.
In the days following the incident, Lu admitted to setting the blaze in an exclusive interview with NBC 5 Investigates’ Chuck Goudie, saying he did so as a protest against President Donald Trump.
He said he put a red hat on top of the cross as part of that protest.
“While it might be kind of scary that the police are looking for me, that type of fear is nowhere near the type of fear that I feel if this country were to go to ruin because of what I’m protesting against,” Lu said.
“Should you have done it some other way?” Goudie asked.
“Yeah, probably. I agree. As I’ve said earlier, I failed in delivering my message, but I believe that right now I’m trying my best to clarify the confusion. And yeah, I don’t regret what I did,” Lu responded.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was among many lawmakers who blasted the incident, with viral videos spreading rapidly after the burning.
“That symbol of hatred is one that we must continue to reject, and I wholeheartedly reject it. I can’t speak to anyone’s motives. You can only speak to the impact, and the impact was devastating,” Johnson said. “I fully expect that the investigation will unfold, and whatever consequences that come out of this investigation, I hope it matches the level of not just discomfort, but pain that it caused.”
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