Charge dropped against man who burned flag at RNC in Ohio

CLEVELAND — The man whose case led to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the burning of the American flag being protected by free speech no longer faces a charge over another flag-burning at last summer’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

Cleveland.com reports (http://bit.ly/2iTxPQS ) court filings show prosecutors last week dropped the misdemeanour assault charge against Gregory “Joey” Johnson. A city spokesman didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.

The 60-year-old San Francisco man was arrested after he set an American flag on fire during a July 20 protest near an RNC security entrance.

Johnson’s attorney says the charges were politically motivated.

Johnson’s torching of a flag at a GOP convention three decades ago led to the landmark 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said flag-burning is protected by the First Amendment.

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Information from: cleveland.com, http://www.cleveland.com

The Associated Press