Occurred on February 3, 2018 / Lawrence, Kansas, USA
Info from Licensor: "A group of people came downtown to march along Massachusetts Street as a part of a 'Defend Our Flag' event, which had been created on social media in response to a previously live-streamed video of someone dragging the American flag down the same street as a form of legal political protest. The individuals who gathered stated that they intended to stop anybody they saw who was dragging the American flag and that they wanted to show pride and respect of the flag by carrying it in a parade fashion. While the event was stated to be organized around pride in the American flag, there were several individuals who showed up to fly and carry Confederate flags as well as something known as a triple threat flag which includes superimposed images of American, Confederate and Gadsden Flags. Many local community members who were downtown that day reported hearing racist and homophobic slurs, xenophobic commentary, and threats and acts of violence carried out against anybody who vocalized opposition to their ideals. I was sitting on a corner with my cell phone, video recording the marchers walk past me, when suddenly there were several of them who quickly descended upon and surrounded a pickup truck that was flying an anti-fascist flag, at which point two of the participants approached the passenger side of the truck and grabbed the flag, broke the flagpole in half, and stole the flag. At least four police officers were present and had witnessed the entire attack, but did not take any action. Instead, officers instructed the driver and passenger who were attacked to get back in their vehicle and keep moving, none of the officers went after the individual who destroyed, stole, and walked away with the with the damaged and stolen flag. The officers didn't take a report, let alone witness statements, as was requested by the victims of the crime."
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