Lu appeared in court Thursday on four felony counts and four misdemeanor counts, including a hate crime, arson, property damage, and the specific charge of burning a cross to intimidate, according to Cook County prosecutors. A judge denied a request by prosecutors to keep Lu detained, allowing him to remain free pending further proceedings.
Defense attorney Alexander Michael argued that Lu was exercising free speech in what he called a “foolish manner.” Michael disputed that the act could constitute a hate crime against Christians, the court filing said.
The incident took place on June 9 in the middle of the day. According to the prosecution’s court filing, Lu constructed a cross from two pieces of wood, wrapped it in toilet paper, doused it with kerosene and set it on fire. The blaze left burn marks on the trunk and limbs of a tree in the park.
Lu’s own statements to a television station this week added a layer of complexity to the case. He admitted he was responsible for the cross burning but said the act was a protest against Trump and Christian nationalists, and that he was not using the cross as a historical symbol of hate against Black people. The burning cross has long been employed as a terror symbol by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups, particularly to intimidate Black Americans.
MSI previously reported that Lu was in custody in connection with the Grant Park cross burning. A prior article covering the discovery of the burning cross described the shock the incident sent through the city.