Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson defends alderman for charred American flag incident, says censure would be 'fascist'

The Pilsen alderman — who has strongly noted his support for Gaza in past council meetings while sporting a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf — has said he was unaware the American flag would be burned at the protest, did not see it when he arrived and was not at the protest when the act occurred.

“I fully expect that the City Council recognizes its responsibility, and that it will not move forward in the type of fascist forms of expression that have left too many of our countries in desperate peril,” Johnson said.

Harsh debate over Israel’s attacks in Gaza following Hamas’ October surprise attack have brought disorder to the City Council for months. Loud protests during council meetings have twice led to security clearing spectators before aldermen narrowly passed a symbolic resolution calling for a cease-fire in late January.

During a news conference Wednesday condemning Sigcho-Lopez, Marine and Army National Guard veteran Ald. Chris Taliaferro, 29th, said Sigcho-Lopez overstepped when he spoke in front of not only the charred flag but also a sign accusing Biden of enabling genocide. He was among three veterans in City Council speaking out during the news conference.

“His conduct and his speech were reprehensible to the point where we are demanding he account for his actions,” Taliaferro said of Sigcho-Lopez.

Sigcho-Lopez told reporters Thursday he has received “violent threats” in the wake of the aldermen’s criticism and demanded an apology from them instead. He also said he has no “ties” to the group that organized the protest and “I never elevated or brought any attention to the flag.”

“We’re not in Russia. I don’t think the president of the United States has the same tendencies as (Russian President Vladimir) Putin — at least that’s what we thought,” Sigcho-Lopez said.

“We want to make sure that we have a healthy democracy. We have a constitutional right to protest. … I am not going to apologize for standing up for my community, for my First Amendment right to take a position on the DNC.”

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(Chicago Tribune’s Jake Sheridan contributed to this story.)

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