Chicago man charged after Grant Park cross burning

A 21-year-old Chicago man has been charged with hate crimes, arson and other offenses after police said he set fire to a cross in Grant Park, an incident that drew alarm because of the symbol’s long association with racism, white supremacy and the Ku Klux Klan.

Merlin Lu was arrested and charged with four felony counts and four misdemeanor counts tied to the June 9 fire in the 600 block of South Columbus Drive, Chicago police said. He is scheduled to appear at a detention hearing Thursday.

Police said Lu was identified as the suspect who committed a hate crime by starting a fire that damaged city property. The felony charges include arson, damage to property between $500 and $10,000, and two counts of a hate crime. The misdemeanor charges include disorderly conduct, reckless conduct, damage to property under $500 and cross burning to intimidate.

Authorities last week released surveillance photos of a “person of interest” allegedly fleeing the scene. The images showed a young man who appeared to be in his 20s, with dark hair, wearing a black backpack, dark trousers and white sneakers.

The Rev. Michael L. Pfleger, pastor of Chicago’s Faith Community of Saint Sabina, offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the person responsible for the cross burning.

“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,” Pfleger told ABC7. “This is a decades-old symbol of hate and supremacy and the Ku Klux Klan. This is their symbol.”

Before his arrest, Lu spoke with NBC Chicago and said the act was intended as a protest against President Donald Trump, not as a racist message. He said he placed a red hat on top of the cross as part of the protest.

“My protest has nothing to do with race, nothing to with gender,” Lu told the station.

NBC Chicago reported that it received a video last week in which Lu claimed responsibility for the cross burning, denied any affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan, apologized to those offended by the act and criticized the president.

Lu, a University of Illinois Chicago senior, told NBC Chicago that he built the cross after carrying wooden slats from his apartment to Grant Park last Tuesday afternoon. He said he then used toilet paper and lighter fluid to start the fire.

He denied that the act was a hate crime, while acknowledging he should have protested in another way.

“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,” Lu said. “I wanted to find something that I could do by myself, like no organization, no friends.”

Police have not released further information about the case.