Flag Burning at Occupy Charlotte Encampment Draws Criticism from Other Protesters

According to the LA Times, four men who burned two American flags at an Occupy Charlotte encampment faced misdemeanor charges as well as harsh criticism from inside the local Occupy movement. The men were charged with “careless use of fire” because they did not use a fire pit. One of the men, Alex Tyler, apologized to other Occupiers for any trouble his actions caused and offered this explanation of the flag burning: "Those were actions taken on my own behalf. I did it to display my utter contempt for American greed, not (the military)." As reported in the Charlotte Observer, some other Occupiers called the flag burning "hideous," "shocking," and "disrespectful" and called for those responsible to be ejected from the Occupy Charlotte site.

JFB