Suspect Charged with Hate Crime, Burning Cross in Grant Park Released From Custody Pending Trial
Merlin Lu faces four felonies after police say he built and burned a cross as a political protest, causing about $1,800 in damage.
- Merlin Lu, 21, faces felony hate crime and arson charges after setting a cross ablaze in Chicago's Grant Park on June 9, following his arrest Monday by police and federal investigators.
- Prosecutors allege Lu constructed the cross using wood, kerosene, and a red MAGA-like hat before igniting it, though Lu told investigators his act was a political protest against President Donald Trump rather than intimidation.
- Cross burnings are historically recognized as "symbols of hate" inextricably linked to the Ku Klux Klan; investigators identified Lu by matching surveillance footage of him fleeing to his Illinois driver's license photo.
- Judge D'Anthony Thedford ordered Lu's release Thursday with strict conditions, stating, "Your protest put in jeopardy anyone who was in that park. This potentially could have cost someone their life."
- Lu apologized for the fear he caused but maintains the act was not a hate crime; he is due back in court on June 22 to face the charges under pretrial monitoring.
11 Articles
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Man charged with burning cross in Grant Park released from custody while he awaits trial
The Chicago man accused of burning a cross in Grant Park last week made his first court appearance on Thursday, as a judge denied prosecutors' request to keep him locked up until trial.
Suspect in Cross-Burning ‘Hate Crime’ is Anti-Trump Asian Who Was Protesting Christian Nationalism.
A 21-year-old Asian man faces multiple charges, including a hate crime, after setting a cross on fire in a Chicago park.PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Merlin Lu, 21, has been charged with a hate crime, arson, and other offenses after setting a cross on fire in Grant Park, Chicago. Lu admitted to the act, but said it was not intended as a symbol of racist intimidation but a protest against President Donald J. Trump and Christian nationalism. DETAIL:…
Chicago's cross burning found to be set by liberal, anti-Trump...
After the Southern Poverty Law Center scandal of actually funding and encouraging racist protests, it appears that at least one individual has created his own orchestrated racist incident. In Chicago (where Jussie Smollett committed his infamous racist hoax), a burning cross was denounced by Mayor Brandon Johnson as a sign of the racism in society. Johnson, however, refused to address the fact that the cross burning was actually the work of an a…
Chicago Man Facing Hate Crime Charges After Cross Burning in Grant Park
Chicago Man Facing Hate Crime Charges After Cross Burning in Grant Park Matt Masterson Thu, 06/18/2026 - 15:08 The Chicago man accused of setting ablaze a large cross in Grant Park now faces felony hate crime charges. Merlin Lu, 21, was charged late Wednesday with two hate crime counts as well as additional charges including arson, property damage, disorderly conduct and cross burning as a means of intimidation. A Cook County judge on Thursday r…
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