After Donald Trump decided it was a great idea to make burning the American flag illegal, plenty of people have voiced their frustration. It’s not that people are out here burning flags as a hobby, but rather because the anger comes from the feeling that Trump is trampling on the First Amendment and silencing one of the most powerful forms of protest in American history. In response, some people are planning to push back by staging a mass flag burning.
The idea gained traction on Reddit, specifically in the r/Seattle subreddit, where a user going by wsucougs posted about organizing an event. They invited others to join them on Sunday, 8/31, at 7 PM in Cal Anderson Park in Washington. “No, we don’t represent any organization, just a group of friends who are sick and tired of this shit. Feel free to join us,” the user wrote.
The post sparked a wave of reactions. Some Seattle users were fired up and eager to participate, with one bluntly saying, “The Supreme Court said I could.” Others, however, raised concerns. A few warned that Cal Anderson Park might not be the best location, pointing out that fire safety matters, especially in late summer when the grass is dry and the city is facing a heatwave. They argued that lighting flags on fire there could create a real hazard.
On top of that, some argued the move could backfire politically. They worried that MAGA supporters and right-wing media would twist the protest into a soundbite, painting Seattle as lawless and using it as an excuse for harsher crackdowns. “What’s the point of creating more sound bites for them? They’d use it to show how unruly the city is to justify putting troops in Washington,” one user wrote.
Still, others pushed back, saying propaganda machines like Fox News will always find something to spin. “Dog, Fox News just turned Cracker Barrel making a shitty new logo into a crusade against ‘woke communism’ or whatever. They’ll find a way no matter what people do,” another redditor commented.
Some floated alternatives: burn MAGA flags instead, or flip the American flag upside down as a symbol of distress. One commenter wrote, “We’re in a heatwave, burning flags near dried brush only spells disaster waiting to happen. And for what, to own Trump and the chuds? An upside-down US flag will make your point without causing a potential hazard.”
