Why a political activist who tried to burn a Trump flag in Bellefonte is now suing the borough
A political activist whose attempt to burn a flag in Bellefonte in protest of former President Donald Trump was aborted sued the borough Friday.
Gene Stilp’s federal lawsuit alleged the borough’s burn ordinance impeded his First Amendment guarantee of free speech. The borough will “take it seriously,” Manager Ralph Stewart wrote in an email Monday. He declined further comment.
Bellefonte isn’t the only municipality Stilp has sued since the former president took office in 2017. He’s settled more than a handful of similar lawsuits throughout the state and has walked away with tens of thousands of dollars.
“It’s a learning experience for the citizens. You do have different ways of expressing your First Amendment rights. This is just one of them,” Stilp said Monday. “... There has to be room for First Amendment expressive demonstrations in different towns and counties in Pennsylvania.”
Stilp brought his steel trash can, matches and flags to the Centre County Courthouse in September 2020. He planned to torch a Trump campaign flag that sewn together with a superimposed Nazi flag, Confederate flag and a flag of the former Soviet Union.
The goal, Stilp’s lawyers wrote in the 28-page lawsuit, was to publicly oppose Trump administration policies that he deemed “racist and contrary to the best interests of the United States,” as well as Trump’s reelection campaign.
He placed the flag in the trash can, lighted a match and started to burn the flag. A Centre County deputy sheriff immediately extinguished the fire by pouring water on the flag. Stilp received a summary citation.
The ordinance, Stilp alleged, fails to make clear whether a fire used for political demonstration is allowed. The “unconstitutionally vague” ordinance was enforced in an “arbitrary and discriminatory manner,” Stilp alleged.
He vowed Monday to keep up the political demonstrations throughout the state, including one planned for the spring in State College.
“We keep going,” Stilp said. “And we keep winning.”