Man who burned cross in Chicago park, calling it a protest against Trump, charged with hate crime

The man told a local television station that he had placed a MAGA hat on the cross and intended the act to be a protest of the "ruling class" and Christian nationalists who support Trump.

By Kevin Killough

Published: June 18, 2026 1:22pm

A man who burnt a cross in a Chicago park, claiming it was a protest of President Donald Trump, was charged with a hate crime, arson and other offenses.

Merlin Lu, 21, told NBC Chicago, that, while he knew that a burning cross was historically a symbol of racism, he had placed a MAGA hat on top of the cross and intended the act to be a protest of the "ruling class" and Christian nationalists who support Trump.

Police said in a statement on Wednesday that Lu, who is a University of Illinois Chicago senior studying chemistry, is charged with four felonies and four misdemeanors, including a hate crime and burning a cross to intimidate, ABC News reported.

He is scheduled to appear in court for a detention hearing on Thursday.