Chicago student charged with hate crime for Grant Park cross

A 21-year-old college student has been charged with multiple felonies, including a hate crime, after admitting he set a cross on fire in Chicago's Grant Park earlier this month. Merlin Lu, a senior at the University of Illinois Chicago, was arrested on Monday, June 15, and faces four felony and four misdemeanor counts related to the June 9 incident.

According to police, the cross was erected and set ablaze in the downtown park around 2:30 p.m. on June 9. Firefighters extinguished the flames. In the days following, Lu gave interviews to local television stations, claiming responsibility. He stated his act was a political protest against President Donald Trump, the "ruling class," and Christian nationalists who support him. Lu said he placed a red hat, which he described as symbolizing a MAGA hat, on top of the cross before igniting it, though he acknowledged this detail was not visible in public footage.

Despite his stated intent, Lu has been charged with a felony hate crime, felony arson, felony criminal damage to property, and the specific charge of burning a cross to intimidate. Misdemeanor charges include reckless conduct and disorderly conduct. The Chicago Police Department...