Anti-Fascist Event at University of Virginia

A student affiliated with an anti-fascist group plans to host an “anti-fascist tailgate” on Friday evening at the University of Virginia. This event is set to include the burning of the American flag, a protest against a recent executive order by President Trump.

Scheduled from 6 PM to 6:30 PM, the event will take place in the university’s parking lot before a volleyball game, with promotional materials indicating that there will be “hot dogs and a fiery flag” featured in the gathering.

Interest in the event surged after it was shared on social media by White House strategist Greg Price.

Kirk Wolf, a law student and Navy veteran, circulated flyers inviting his classmates and provided an explanation titled “Why am I burning the flag?”

Wolf identified this protest as part of a loosely organized group dubbed the Friends Again Again Again Organization, or Fafo. He emphasized that the flag burning is intended as a symbolic act rather than an insult, representing a protest against perceived threats to democracy and unjust government actions.

He remarked, “The president cannot dictate what the law is, as that lies with the judiciary.” Wolf added that the actions of the president and his administration could, in his view, undermine the ideals that many have fought to protect.

Officials at the University of Virginia Law School clarified that the organizing group is not an official student association and that the demonstration had not received university approval.

The spokesperson explained, however, that students could engage in expressive activities within certain public areas without needing formal permission. The protest follows an executive order signed by Trump in August, which directs the Attorney General to pursue legal action against those who burn the American flag.

In 1989, a Supreme Court ruling established that flag burning is protected as free speech under the First Amendment.