Key facts
- A large, burning cross was found in Chicago's Grant Park.
- Police are investigating the incident and its motive.
- The Chicago Fire Department extinguished the flames.
Police are investigating a large, burning cross found in Chicago's Grant Park on Tuesday afternoon. The incident has raised concerns about potential racial motivation due to the historical association of cross burnings with hate groups.
The discovery of a burning cross in a public park raises concerns about hate crimes and intimidation, echoing historical acts of racial violence in the United States and prompting police investigation into the motive and perpetrators.
Police are investigating after a large, burning cross was discovered in Chicago's Grant Park on Tuesday afternoon. Video footage shows the wooden cross engulfed in flames, leaning against a tree. The Chicago Fire Department confirmed the object was a cross and extinguished the fire. Authorities stated there were no reports of injuries and that they are investigating the motive and circumstances surrounding the incident.
Witnesses described feeling a mix of shock, sadness, and disgust, with one Black woman, Keinika Carlton, noting that burning crosses are historically used as a tactic of violence against Black Americans. She estimated the cross was at least 6 feet tall. Another witness, Alyna Carlton, expressed that the event made her realize how close the past still feels.
Cross burnings in the U.S. have historically been recognized as symbols of hate, particularly linked to the Ku Klux Klan. A 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision, authored by the late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, affirmed that the First Amendment permits bans on cross burnings when they are intended to intimidate, describing it as a "particularly virulent form of intimidation."
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