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Michael Snow Jr., 24, of Durham, North Carolina, is accused of torching the flag during a July 24 protest in Columbus Circle that spiraled into chaos.
Court documents allege Snow destroyed the flag as a crowd surrounded him, chanting “Burn that sh--!” moments after the flag was torn down by others.
The protest reportedly involved pulling down flags, burning objects, spraying graffiti on statues and structures, and obstructing law enforcement efforts to arrest individuals, according to prosecutors.
Footage shows Snow grabbing the fallen flag, carrying it into the crowd, and attempting to ignite it with a lighter, court documents state. When his attempts failed, he yelled, “I need a better lighter!” The crowd erupted in chants, further fueling the tension.
Prosecutors say someone handed Snow charcoal lighter fluid, which he used to douse the flag before successfully setting it ablaze with help from another individual.
“Stealing a federal flag and burning it is not speech, it’s destruction of federal property,” US Attorney Matthew Graves said. “The relatively few who cross the line from protest to violence and destruction will be held accountable.”
Snow’s actions didn’t go unnoticed.
A social media user posted images of the incident on the platform “X” (formerly Twitter), leading investigators to match the photos with Snow’s driver’s license. Witnesses later confirmed his identity, authorities said.
The National Park Service estimates the cost of cleanup and repairs from the protest at $11,282.23.
Snow was arrested Tuesday morning in North Carolina and is set to face a judge that afternoon, where he will be charged with willfully injuring or destroying federal property.
“The FBI does not conduct investigations based solely on First Amendment activities,” Special Agent Sanjay Virmani said. “But the FBI will not tolerate those who commit destruction of federal property in the guise of First Amendment activity.”
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