An incredibly offensive burning cross that was placed in a Chicago park this week, complete with a red Trump hat, was not the work of white supremacists but an Asian student at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Merlin Lu took responsibility for the display, claiming that he placed it there as a form of anti-Trump protest and that he didn’t understand the depth of the symbolism or the history behind it.
The College Fix reports:
Asian Chicago college student admits to burning cross as part of Trump protest
Another day, another hoaxAn Asian University of Illinois Chicago student set up a burning cross in Grant Park in order to protest President Donald Trump.Earlier this week, Merlin Lu admitted to NBC 5 that he set up the burning cross on June 9. He is now in police custody.“Last week, Lu sent a scripted video to NBC, claiming responsibility for the cross burning but saying he had no affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan, apologizing to those who were offended,” NBC reported. “In the video he also criticized President Donald Trump.”During an interview with Chuck Goudie, Lu shared that he had little knowledge of the Klan.“Did you make it all the way through almost four years at UIC without somebody teaching you that a burning cross is one of the most divisive symbols in America,” Goudie asked.“No, I don’t really have any, like… I never grew up with religion, never really surrounded myself with people with it. My childhood friend’s they, I remember them going to, like, confirmation and stuff like that, but um…” he said.Lu graduated from Neuqua Valley High School in the wealthy Naperville suburb of Chicago.The student, who may one day stand trial for an arson charge, said he wants the president put on trial.“I put a red hat to signify the MAGA hat, the Make America Great Again hat,” he said. “So that was, yeah, that’s what I tied on top.”Lu denied that he was calling for a violent end for Trump, although he said he didn’t “want to wait until his term ends” in a separate video he sent NBC.
The part that really jumps out is when Lu is describing his hatred of Trump and what he wants. “I want…”
Who cares what you want? What about the millions of people who voted for Trump? What about what they want?
His parents must be so proud.
Here’s the full video report from NBC News in Chicago.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is still all-in on the narrative.
Featured image via YouTube.
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