How an Illinois man’s flag-burning 4th of July celebration ended in jail

(credit: Bryton Mellott via Facebook)

A 22-year-old Illinois man named Bryton Mellott decided to celebrate July Fourth by burning the US flag and posting pictures of his actions on Facebook. The actions led to his arrest by local police, national press attention, and threats against his life.

"I am not proud to be an American," wrote Mellott, in a Facebook post that he later deleted. "In this moment, being proud of my country is to ignore the atrocities committed against people of color, people living in poverty, people who identify as women, and against my own queer community on a daily basis."

The photo remains up, with the accompanying hashtag "#betterburnthatflag."

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