CHICAGO (AP) — Police announced Tuesday that they have a suspect in custody as part of their ongoing investigation into a significant incident involving a cross being set on fire in one of Chicago’s most recognized parks.
The alarming sight of the burning cross emerged on June 9 in Grant Park. This location holds historical importance as the venue where Barack Obama, the first Black president of the United States, delivered his acceptance speech after winning the 2008 election.
A 21-year-old college student came forward to WMAQ-TV, claiming to be the shirtless individual featured in a photo circulated by the police during their search for the suspect. However, it remains unconfirmed by police whether this individual is the person currently detained.
The student explained his actions as a protest against President Donald Trump, clarifying that his intent was not to make a racist statement. “I was aware of the historical significance but didn’t fully grasp the racial implications it might convey,” he told the TV station. “My protest was unrelated to race or gender.”
“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,” the man told the TV station. “Cause my protest has nothing to do with race, nothing to do with gender.”
Cross burnings in the U.S. have historically been seen as symbols of hate and intimidation against Black people and have often been connected to the Ku Klux Klan.
The Chicago Police Department’s communications office confirmed that a person was in custody in connection with the case, but no other details were released.
The man interviewed on WMAQ said he was protesting the “ruling class” and Christian nationalists who support Trump. He said he put a red MAGA hat on the cross.