A Providence firefighter is the focus of an internal investigation into a gesture he made during a flag-burning protest in front of the Providence Public Safety Complex, reports wpri.com.
Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare said video shows the on-duty firefighter raising his fist in apparent approval of the flag-burning which attracted a large crowd. The incident happened last Tuesday night, following a Missouri grand jury decision not to indict a police officer who shot a teenager to death. The Providence group of about 100 people blocked garages that house the central station’s firefighting apparatus, before marching toward Interstate 95 which moment later was blocked by members of the crowd.
“We were disappointed in that (firefighter’s) behavior,” Pare said. “The gesture incited the crowd in a way that could’ve been dangerous to the officers who were trying to manage and keep the protestors safe.”
Video recorded byRI Future’s Steve Ahlquistshows the group gathered around an American flag, chanting “burn it” over and over. About two and a half minutes into to the four-minute video, a voice is heard referencing the firefighter.
Read more of the story and the video herehttp://bit.ly/1v8DAbI
