When the Smoke Cleared at NYC Flag Burning Event, One Veteran Remained — You Need to Hear Why

A U.S. Army veteran attended Wednesday's flag burning event in New York City to protest the desecration of the stars and stripes — and he vowed to stay until the very end to ensure "that at the end of the night there is a flag left standing."

Mark Brummitt, who served for 13 years in the Army, told TheBlaze he would not leave until the smoke had cleared.

U.S. Army Veteran Mark Brummitt vowed to fly an American flag after the anti-police protest had concluded. (Oliver Darcy / TheBlaze)

"I will stay here until this is all over," he said. "All throughout history flags have represented the battlefield. And it was around the flag that everybody came together. At the end of the battle, there was one flag left standing."

[sharequote align="center"]"At the end of the night, the American flag is still going to be standing."[/sharequote]

"And tonight, they're planning on burning a lot of flags. They said, 'We're burning one big one and bring your own.' But, this is a battle that is already won. And at the end of the night, the American flag is still going to be standing," Brummitt added, vowing to fly the flag he brought proudly over the area.

U.S. Army Veteran Mark Brummitt and his fiancée. (Oliver Darcy / TheBlaze)

The U.S. Army veteran said that while he thinks everyone has a right to demonstrate, burning the flag doesn't contribute to positive dialogue.

"Everybody has a right to protest. Everybody has a right to express their opinions. Some opinions, I believe are valid. Some opinions, I believe need a lot of dialogue," Brummitt told TheBlaze. "With that being said, burning the flag doesn't represent the change that they're looking for."

"Protest, by all means. Demonstrate, by all means. Have constructive dialogue. But, the flag represents a lot more than just simply our history as a country," he said. "It represents every man, woman and child who have served our country."

Anti-police activists relocated their flag-burning event Wednesday evening to another part of Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park after dozens of bikers and veterans arrived on scene to demonstrate against their actions. One flag was ultimately burned. After the activists desecrated the flag, the group of bikers and veterans chased the responsible individuals out of the area. No arrests were made, police said.

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