A 21-year-old Chicago man has been charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses, including hate crime charges, after allegedly setting fire to a large wooden cross in Chicago’s Grant Park in an incident that sparked widespread public attention and condemnation.
According to Chicago police, Merlin Lu was arrested on Monday in connection with the June 9 cross-burning incident. Authorities announced Wednesday that Lu faces four felony counts and four misdemeanor counts related to the act, including two felony hate crime charges, arson, and criminal damage to city property.
The burning cross was discovered in Grant Park, prompting an investigation and a public search for the individual responsible. Police later identified Lu as the suspect after he publicly admitted to carrying out the act.
Speaking to NBC Chicago, Lu acknowledged building and burning the cross but denied that his actions were motivated by racial hatred. He said the demonstration was intended as a political protest against President Donald Trump’s administration rather than an act of intimidation or racial hostility.
Lu explained that he placed a red hat associated with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement on top of the cross as part of his protest. He said he acted alone and did not have ties to any political organization or extremist group.
While acknowledging the historical significance of cross burnings, which have long been associated with racial terror and intimidation carried out by the Ku Klux Klan, Lu claimed he did not fully understand how his actions would be perceived.
“I understand why it was interpreted that way, and I apologize for that,” he reportedly said, maintaining that he did not intend to commit a hate crime.
Authorities, however, moved forward with hate crime charges based on the nature of the act and its historical symbolism. In addition to the felony charges, Lu faces misdemeanor counts including breach of peace, reckless conduct, criminal damage to property, and cross burning to intimidate.
During interviews with local media, Lu criticized Trump and expressed frustration with the federal government, though he stated that his actions were not intended as a threat against the president.
Police confirmed that Lu remained in custody Wednesday evening and was scheduled to appear at a detention hearing on Thursday. It was not immediately known whether he had retained legal representation.
The case has reignited discussions about the legal and historical implications of cross burnings in the United States, where the act is widely recognized as a symbol of racial intimidation and hate, regardless of an individual’s stated intentions.