With Hampshire College in the news for taking down its American flag after a student burned it, President-elect Donald Trump said flag burners should face severe consequences.
In a tweet Tuesday morning, Trump suggested that flag burners spend a year in jail or lose American citizenship. He did not mention Hampshire College. Flags have also been burned at Trump Tower and at American University since the election this month.
“Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag – if they do, there must be consequences – perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!” the tweet read.
However, the 1989 case of Texas v. Johnson ruled that flag burning constitutes “symbolic speech” protected by the First Amendment.
Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag – if they do, there must be consequences – perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016
“The Supreme Court has been very clear that flag burning is protected by free speech,” Hampshire College president Jonathan Lash said. The person who burned the flag at Hampshire College and their motive are unknown, Lash said.
Hampshire’s decision to remove the flag entirely in order to facilitate discussion led to a protest Sunday attended by veterans as well as Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno, Democratic State Rep. John Velis and Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan.
During the mostly peaceful protest, some protesters tried to interfere with people photographing a counter protester and one threatened a Gazette photographer by mimicking a line from an infamous 2005 Trump tape, saying “Grab her by the” genitals.