Updated: Tuesday, May 10, 2011 23:05

Benjamin Haas, communication studies graduate student, will burn an American flag tomorrow at noon on the Parade Ground as part of a peaceful protest, according to Cody Wells, Student Government president.

Wells said Haas is exercising his First Amendment right to burn the flag. The burning comes nearly a week after Isaac Eslava was taken into custody after cutting down and burning the American flag flying over the War Memorial and stealing the University flag.

Wells said Haas went through University procedure to host tomorrow’s protest, and he also went through the procedure to organize a “peaceful assembly in response to recent flag burnings.”

“We’re going to respect his First Amendment right to burn our American flag,” Wells said.

He added he and others will then “exercise our own First Amendment rights” by holding their own ceremony.

Tomorrow at 1 p.m., Wells is organizing a ceremony to say the pledge of allegiance and sing the national anthem. Wells said he has a trumpet player lined up for the ceremony and he hopes he will have cadets there.

Though Wells is the SG president, he said his assembly is not related to or sponsored by SG, but by him “as an individual.”

via Student to burn American flag in peaceful protest tomorrow at noon.