Crime & Safety
WATCH: NYC Activists Burn American Flags Outside Trump Hotel
One protester could be seen ceremoniously shielding the flames from a light November rain with his umbrella.
UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A group of activists from the NYC Revolution Club did their part to uphold the nationwide #FlagBurningChallenge Tuesday evening, hitting President-elect Donald Trump right where it counts: the Trump International Hotel & Tower at 1 Central Park West on the Upper West Side.
"America was never great!" one female protester yelled through a megaphone from across the street, as the president-elect's guests-by-proxy peered down from their rooms above.
Another protester then set two small American flags ablaze, while a third ceremoniously protected the flames from a light November rain with his umbrella.
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Watch for yourself:
Just burned US flag at Trump Hotel NYC. We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America! Now your turn: #FlagBurningChallenge pic.twitter.com/pvMDaVIyKD
— Sunsara Taylor (@SunsaraTaylor) November 29, 2016
Not satisfied, the group then crossed the street and burned another couple flags on the sidewalk directly outside Trump's hotel.
Find out what's happening in Upper West Sidefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Oops!" We did it again Reject a Fascist America#FlagBurningChallenge#1stAmendment#NotMyPresident#NoDAPL#RevCom pic.twitter.com/YqxY69xNIO
— Sunsara Taylor (@SunsaraTaylor) November 29, 2016
Trump ignited the flag-burning challenge earlier that day, when — apparently unaware of, or unconcerned with, a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision that found flag-burning to be a First Amendment right — he mused that flag burners should perhaps be punished with "loss of citizenship" or a "year in jail."
Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016
Trump has yet to respond to the flag-burning staged outside his hotel Tuesday night.
Images via Sunsara Taylor/Twitter
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