Anti-Trump vandals tear down Waxhaw veteran's American flag

WAXHAW, N.C. — A veteran's American flag was ripped off his business in downtown Waxhaw on the night after President Donald Trump took office.

Waxhaw is ranked as one of the state's friendliest cities for families, and the veteran who owns a restaurant on East South Main Street said he doesn't understand why anyone would take out their anger on the flag.

"Initially I was angry. I'm a veteran and I fly the flag proudly," said Jim Barker, the owner of JB's Lazy Pig BBQ and Frozen Gold Ice Cream.

Barker said the flag for which he fought as a soldier in the Army was ripped down for the first time on the night of the presidential inauguration.

"I did a temporary repair and remounted it, and it was in fairly firm and solid, but sometime over the weekend it was ripped down and thrown into the mud here," he said.

Not only did vandals tear down his flag twice, they also tossed trash across his restaurant's patio and scattered his tables.

"I put the uniform on and I carried a rifle to defend your right to have your opinion and to be able to speak out, but destroying property is not having an opinion," he said.

The American flag wasn't the only thing targeted by the vandals.

Graffiti was sprayed on trash cans in the park across the street as well.

It wasn't the first time vandals have destroyed property in our area.

Police in Boone are still searching for four people who spray-painted slogans against police and Trump on buildings and a police cruiser, causing thousands of dollars' worth of damage.

From Portland to Washington, D.C., windows have been smashed and vehicles have been set on fire during anti-Trump protests.

Barker never thought he would see any election anger spill onto Waxhaw's streets.

"We can disagree, but we don't have to be very disagreeable, and at the end of the day, we are one. We are one nation and we need to stand together," said Barker.

While he is deeply disappointed, he said he is also encouraged because once others heard what happened, someone pitched in to buy him a new flag.

He plans to install security cameras outside his restaurant because the cameras he has inside didn't catch the vandals' faces.

Cox Media Group