Police in Washington detained near the White House of a man who lit a US flag to protest against the new executive order of President Donald Trump. TASR reports according to AFP.
President on Monday Trump signed a decree to take legal action against the flags of people. According to the Supreme Court of 1989, the burning of US flags is protected by the first amendment to the US Constitution. It entered into force on December 15, 1791 and guarantees the US citizen freedom of expression.
“I burn this flag to protest against the illegal fascist president sitting in that house,” A man was screaming into a megaphone in the Lafayette park in front of the White House. The man claimed to be a 20-year-old veteran who “fought for each of your rights of expression”.
“It is our right, according to the first amendment to the Constitution to burn this flag no matter what the president says,” he added and lit the flag. The secret service agents extinguished the fire by a fire extinguisher and detained the man. US park police confirmed arrest, referring to regulations that prohibit the establishment of unauthorized fires in public parks.
The Supreme Court in a breakthrough decision of 1989 decided that The burning of US flags protects the freedom of speech according to the first amendment of the Constitution, and abolished the then ban on the abuse of “stars and stripes” (American flag). Both decisions were taken by judges in a ratio of 5: 4.
Trump on Monday At the signing of the executive regulation, he argued cases where flag burning falls under the exception of the first amendment. He ordered the Ministry of Justice to “prefer to enforce flag burning laws to the greatest extent”. It is not clear whether the current Supreme Court with a conservative majority in a 6: 3 ratio could abolish or narrow the 1989 precedent.
