GAAG and Belgium Government in Exile flag burning at the United Nations (5 November 1970)

This photo was taken at the GAAG and the Belgian Government in Exile’s preliminary action to a flag burning ceremony at the UN. It shows Jean Toche and Jon Hendricks holding up their fists.

GAAG planned a flag burning event at the UN plaza as part of the forthcoming people’s flag show at the Judson Church. The purposes include first, protesting the laws confining people’s free use of the United States flag as they consider fit; Second, protesting America’s multifaceted oppressive role in the economic and cultural life of the flemish and walloon people of Belgium. And the planned objects include two American flags with a statement. The two American flags are planned to sewn together, forming a sack, which was filled with animal bones, skulls and entrails. They planned to drag the smelly mess and dump on the plaza, then throw kerosene on it, ignite the flag and read the belgian government in exile’s declaration of war.  However, the actualization faced difficulties. It was the 25th anniversary celebration of UN. So they planned to shift the actions to the sidewalk rather than the original location where on the plaza. After confirming with their attorney, Toche and Hendricks were told that they would be arrested for desecration of the flag, trespassing, and arson. As a result, the action was finally cancelled. According to the document, “because of our role and commitment in helping to organize the people’s flag show, and because many other people were to participate in that show expressing their concerns, and because our arrest would have made the cancellation of the show, it would have denied those other people’s concern, we felt we did not have that right.” They at the end performed a solemn silent ritual of taping the “declaration of war” on the UN flagpole and on the flagpole of the Belgian State. The flag-burning ceremony were then arranged on November 9 1970, the day of the opening of “The People’s Flag Show” two hours before the symposium on repression.