A group of communist revolutionaries were caught on camera burning American flags outside a Jason Aldean concert in Chicago on Saturday night.
About 20 people gathered outside Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park as part of a protest led by Revolution Club Chicago, a far-left group that calls for a revolution against capitalism.
The protesters aim to ‘raise awareness of the Revolutionary Communist Party (RevCom), an organization which advocates for a Marxist revolution in America, characterizing the USA as ‘the belly of the beast.”
The activists burned the Stars and Stripes before police declared their presence to be ‘an unlawful assembly’ and that their activism ‘alarmed and disturbed others.’
‘Guess what Jason (Aldean)?,’ said Rafael Kadaris to the Chicago Tribune, who came from California for the protest. ‘We will try that in a small town. We will try that in a big city. And we will try it right in front of your concert.’
A dozen police officers urged the group to move on. One officer had to use a fire extinguisher to put out one of the burning flags as the group left.
A group advocating for communist revolution were captured on camera burning American flags outside a Jason Aldean concert in Chicago on Saturday night
As the activists set fire to the American flags, it prompted law enforcement to declare their presence an ‘unlawful assembly’ as they alarmed passersby
Following the burning of the flags, the protesters chanted, ‘We did it in a small town!’ in reference to Aldean’s gun-toting, anti-woke controversial song
Jason Aldean is seen in concert in Chicago on Saturday night as a protest took place outside
After the flags were burnt to cinders the protesters chanted, ‘We did it in a small town! We did it in a small town!’ – a reference to Aldean’s controversial song ‘Try That In A Small Town.’
‘1, 2, 3, 4, slavery, genocide, and war! 5, 6, 7, 8, America was never great!’ they chanted.
One of the leaders of the group, Leo Pargo said that the burning of the flag was simply free speech, while going on to defend communism.
‘The people in the United States have been lied to about communism. This protest welcomes people who may not agree with all of Revolution Club Chicago’s tenets,’ he told the Tribune.
Aldean’s gun-toting, anti-woke song was released in May and faced swift criticism after the music video premiered on July 14.
Detractors criticized the song’s lyrics and video, suggesting that they conveyed criticism of Black Lives Matter protests.
One of the leaders of the group, Leo Pargo said that the burning of the flag was simply free speech, while going on to defend communism
About a dozen police officers were present as they urged the group to disperse and move on
A fire extinguisher was used to put out the flames of the flag burning
The were no arrests despite tensions between the protestors and the police
The protest continued outside the venue
Police looked to be well prepared for any eventuality as they could be seen wearing riot gear
In the music video, Aldean sings in front of a Tennessee courthouse once used for a lynching, and an American flag interlaced with clips of BLM protests
The country music star used footage from Black Lives Matter riots for the divisive song
The singer faced the heat as the video interlaced clips of BLM protestors vandalizing cities with lyrics endorsing traditional values and ‘taking care of our own.’
Aldean opens the song: ‘Cuss out a cop, spit in his face. Stomp on the flag and light it up. Yeah, ya think you’re tough? Try that in a small town.’
The music video, which has more than 35 million views, was met with backlash among some who felt the lyrics were dog-whistles intended to offend, while others saw it as a commentary on America’s sharp divisions.
The country star’s hit took aim at woke activists for acting ‘a fool’, particularly condemning the series of BLM protests that sprung up across America following the police-killing of George Floyd in 2020.
The riots resulted in billions of dollars in damage and led to questions over why such a large number of people were willing to break the law, with Aldean feeling the unrest was due to people not being ‘raised right’.
The song made repeated references to BLM protests. Pictured: NYPD officers block the entrance of the Manhattan Bridge as protests erupted in New York City on June 2, 2020
A Pittsburgh Police vehicle burns during a march in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 30, 2020
Aldean posted on Twitter to explain the meaning behind the controversial song
‘Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk, carjack an old lady at a red light,’ he sings. ‘Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store – ya think it’s cool, well, act a fool.
‘See how far ya make it down the road. Around here, we take care of our own. You cross that line, it won’t take long for you to find out – I recommend you don’t try that in a small town.’
One line caused particular offense among some gun-hating listeners, where Aldean sang: ‘Got a gun that my grandad gave me, they say one day they’re gonna round up… well, that s*** might fly in the city, good luck.’
While some see any reference to guns as ‘crossing the line’, Aldean’s gun lyrics were also seen as insensitive given that he was on stage for the infamous 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, where 60 people died and some 850 were wounded.
The 46-year-old capped off the song by paying tribute to Southern values, noting that small towns are ‘full of good ol’ boys, raised up right.’
‘If you’re looking for a fight, try that in a small town.’
Aldean’s video shows a flag being burnt during BLM protests of 2020
Aldean has long identified as conservative, and has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump
The song was met with mixed reviews, with liberal listeners feeling Aldean’s touting of Southern norms and anti-rioting were far-right affronts, while fans found it hard to disagree with its traditional values.
Following the backlash, Aldean’s song surged in popularity and reached the top spot on iTunes’ song chart.
Aldean has long identified as conservative, and has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump.
Days after the video’s release, Aldean, 46, responded to the controversy surrounding airing his frustration with accusations of releasing what was termed a pro-lynching song deeming the claims to be bother baseless and dangerous in a message to followers on social media.
Taking to Twitter, Aldean said the hit was inspired by the ‘unspoken rule’ of small towns of ‘we all have each other’s backs and we look out for each other.’
‘It feels like somewhere along the way, that sense of community and respect has gotten lost. Deep down we are all ready to get back to that,’ he added.
It wasn’t the first time Aldean has been at the center of controversy. In 2015, he made headlines for dressing as rapper Lil Wayne as a Halloween costume, wearing blackface makeup and a wig with dreadlocks.
In 2017, the country singer was on stage at the Route 91 Festival in Las Vegas during the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Over the years, Aldean has given conflicting statements about his stance on U.S. gun laws, though his music celebrates gun ownership.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
247
