CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A picture of a Chicago alderman speaking in front of a burned American flag on Saturday has gone viral and has prompted harsh criticism from several of his colleagues.
The photo in question shows Lower West Side Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez (25th), who said he was invited to speak at a demonstration rejecting Chicago’s decision to host the Democratic National Convention.
In a statement provided to WBBM, a spokesperson for Sigcho Lopez said the alderman showed up only for his speech and did not witness the flag burning. They added that “at no point was his attention drawn to the flag.”
Sigcho Lopez’s spokesperson said any accusations that he participated in the flag burning were misinformation and claimed photos from the event proved the alderman showed up after the flag burning took place.
Northwest Side Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) — a former U.S. Marine — described the image of Sigcho Lopez speaking steps away from a burned American flag as “totally disgusting.” Villegas said it “totally disrespects the millions of Americans who have defended this country” and called on Sigcho Lopez to apologize.
Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd), who chaired the city council’s Progressive Reform Caucus from 2015 – 2019, said in a tweet that Sigcho Lopez was “anti-American and divisive as can be.”
Illinois Veterans for Change, which describes itself as a group of Democratic veterans committed to supporting other veterans who want to serve the state of Illinois, said in a statement that it respects the right to free speech. The organization said “many veterans risked their lives to defend this fundamental right.”
“Those elected to public office through a free and fair democratic system would be the first to recognize what the American flag represents,” the statement read. “We ask anyone burning an American flag to appreciate how hurtful, discriminatory, and divisive this action is to veterans, their families and supporters.”
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