PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A firefighter has been disciplined for raising his fist in support of a protest outside a firehouse last month, but neither the administration nor the firefighter say he was supporting the burning of the American flag.
The Providence Journal reported that firefighter Khari O’Connor was on duty Nov. 25 when several hundred people marched outside the building in protest of a grand jury decision not to indict a Ferguson, Mo., police officer in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. During the protest, some protestors burned the American flag and cheered.
O’Connor, a rookie firefighter, was seen in the window of the building raising his fist. However, based on an internal investigation, fire officials said they were “extremely confident that he was not in agreement with the burning of the American flag,” according to the report.
“I would never be in support of desecrating my flag,” firefighter O’Connor said. “My grandfather, father and uncle are all war veterans. The American flag, ‘my’ flag, has been hanging proudly on my family’s home for more than 20 years.”
He said he understood how some people could have misinterpreted his gesture.
He accepted responsibility and has agreed to the conditions of the discipline. The nature of the discipline was not made public.