Indy Media Watch

As we approach the anniversary of Burn the Flag Day it seems some arsonists in Brooklyn have been getting in some early practice. An article on NYC Indymedia reports:

Someone set fire to seven American flags in a Brooklyn neighborhood yesterday, stoking outrage in a place where flags are displayed outside homes all year long.

Six of the flags hung at houses in Marine Park, and one was on a car. An investigator speculated that the vandals might be teenagers out of school for the summer. Law enforcement officials said the burnings did not appear to be hate crimes, but love crimes.

Needless to say that last bit wasn't actually a direct quote...

Comments throw fuel onto the flames:

at this point we should probably burn every flag we come across, send a message to the crypto-fascist ranks of the complacent bourgeoisie that their ignorance and apathy will not be brushed off so lightly as the world falls to shit around their cookie cutter sugar coated little lives...

Riiiight.

all flags.countries and borders are illegal, they represent imperialism opression,religions,armys,wars ,money,corporations. no borders,burn the flags,abolish money,destroy capitalism and unite so we could controll our communities and what belongs to us. a liberated batlle agains capitalism and corporations and bosses. we want freedom! (A)SOLIDARITY TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN IRAQ ,AFGHANISTAN ,PALESTINE! SOLIDARITY TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL WHO REFUSE TO GO FIGHT IN PALESTINE AND ARE LOCKED UP IN PRISON. OUR PASSION FOR FREEDOM AND ANARCHISM IS STRONGER THAN ALL COUNTRIES AND CORPORATIONS!

Okey dokey...

One of their 'brothers' throws down the challenge:

Sigh...OK, Sean, you want to burn every flag? I suggest you start with the black and red ones first, since those are probably carried by friends of yours, if not yourself, then the Palestinian and Puerto Rican ones. If you're still alive after that, and haven't learned a lesson yet, I suggest going up to Harlem and burning the 'red, black and green' on a busy corner. Again, if you survive that, you can try Old Glory, but don't wimp out on us by doing it in The Village or Union Square. Do it Sunday morning in Bensenhurst, at a church when mass lets out.

Otherwise, breath deeply ten times and ask someone for a hug...

Good advice. It gets more interesting when he guesses at the perpetrators:

This is either dumbass kids or, more likely, rightwing provocatuers trying to build support for the 'anti-flag-burning' wedge issue the GOP, with an assist from Hillary, are stoking up for the next election.

Secret agents no doubt. Of course. This conspiracy is rapidly debunked:

I like how whenever some idiot does something stupid it's automatically a "provacateur" who did it...no maybe it was just some dumbasses. You don't have to pass an IQ or maturity test to become a leftist...

Or post on Indymedia.

Update: Via comments, to the question "What is a love crime?" comes the answer: "A love crime is the sort of thing that will get you hanged in Iran, arrested in the US, defended in the Toronto Star and elected mayor in San Francisco."