A Chicago college student admitted he torched a cross in Grant Park to protest President Donald Trump — then insisted the act carried no racist intent.
Fire crews knocked down the blaze near Columbus and Balbo drives around 2:30 p.m. on June 9, according to ABC7 Chicago. Police took a person of interest into custody Tuesday and have filed no charges, treating the case as arson.
The man who claimed responsibility is Merlin Lu, a 21-year-old University of Illinois Chicago senior who grew up in Naperville.
Lu told NBC 5 he carried wooden slats from his Near West Side apartment, built the cross, capped it with a red MAGA hat, and set it on fire with toilet paper and lighter fluid.
“I did know about this historical relevance beforehand, but I didn’t know the severity, how racially motivated it may seem from what I did. Cause my protest has nothing to do with race, nothing to do with gender.”
Lu denied any bigotry, saying he meant to protest the Trump administration “ruling class” and Christian nationalists who back the president.
Reporter Chuck Goudie pressed him on whether four years at UIC had taught him the symbol’s meaning. Lu referenced a Wikipedia page and “a movie” he couldn’t name.
Cross burnings have served as tools of Klan intimidation against black Americans for a century. The Grant Park site is where Barack Obama gave his 2008 victory speech.
The Rev. Michael Pfleger of Saint Sabina — a Catholic priest known for far-left views — offered a $10,000 reward during the search.
“This was so premeditated. You made this cross somewhere. You carried it, you got it downtown. You put it in one of the most visible spots in Chicago, and then you set it afire.”
The FBI and Chicago police will decide what charges Lu may face, according to NBC 5.
