As Republican presidential candidates debated ways to improve America’s economic and immigration policies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Tuesday night, hundreds of protesters rallied outside against big business and demanded their civil rights. One group burned an American flag.
“They don’t care about us at all. Black race, Hispanic race…” protester Corey Kirkwood said, who stood near the flag burning. “We struggle every day. We got so many black men out here that is homeless.”
The crowd marched down W. Kilborn Avenue amid clashing drums and blaring loudspeakers and halted before the UWM Arena, where the debate was in progress.
Surrounded by circles of protesters chanting for a higher minimum wage, ending U.S. funding to Israel, and mocking Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, a cloud of smoke arose a few feet away from network broadcast trucks. A protester had set fire to an American flag.
Police quickly extinguished the fire and confiscated the flag.
“There was two flags that got burned, okay? Expressing our first amendment right, okay?” Kirkwood told the Collegian. “His officers — Milwaukee Police Captain Jackson’s officers — took our flag and took an extra flag that was connected that was not burning.”
Kirkwood and his fellow protester Vaun Mayes were part of a group advocating for the prosecution of former Milwaukee Police Officer Christopher Manney. The white police officer shot and killed Dontre Hamilton, an unarmed, mentally ill black man in April 2014.
Kirkwood and Mayes confronted police officers to try to retrieve the burned flag.
“They don’t want to return my property even though they took it without my permission and without my consent,” Mayes said. “That’s stealing.”
Mayes said he owned one of the flags involved. He claims it was not the flag that was set on fire, but he was “stepping on” his flag.
As the crowds dispersed, the pair began yelling at the police officers who held the flag.
“Here’s Captain Jackson here, who’s the one who’s been arresting all of us for expressing our own feelings.” said Kirkwood. “They mad.”
Milwaukee police folded the burned flag before taking it. Images of the policemen folding the flag have gone viral on social media since Tuesday.
Supreme Court case U.S. v. Eichman 1990 ruled burning a United States flag is not illegal, but the Milwaukee Police Department retained the flag as evidence. The man burning the flag has been identified, but no charges have been filed yet, according to the Associated Press.
“We were expressing our first-amendment right, that’s why,” Kirkwood said. “Freedom of speech.”
