Group Wants Hate-crime Inquiry into Mexican Flag Incident at the University of New Mexico: The New Mexico League of United Latin American Citizens has asked state and federal officials to investigate a University of New Mexico student who is accused of tearing down a Mexican flag.
Peter Lynch, 30, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a charge of criminal damage to property after tearing up a Mexican flag on campus last month. He has admitted tearing down the flag but said he was acting out of patriotism because the Mexican flag wasn’t accompanied by an American flag.
“This was a hate crime that can no way be hidden under the color of patriotic,” said John Moya, president of the Albuquerque LULAC Council.
Lynch said those who say he acted out of hate are “trying to make themselves out to be the victims, when in fact the American flag was the victim.”
The incident stemmed from miscommunication. The Mexican flag, put up for Mexican Independence Day, was never supposed to be left flying by itself. When the Army ROTC went to retire the U.S. and state flags on the evening of Sept. 14, they left the Mexican flag because they thought its owners would take it down. That didn’t happen."
