If they wanted demonstrate free speech, they should've burned other countries' flags where such activities are illegal or liable to get you taken behind your house and shot.
Burning the American flag as a demonstration of free speech is not a positive demonstration of free speech. In fact, it is just the opposite.
But I'm sure that burning the Gay Pride flag in Santa Cruz is considered a hate crime.
They should have burned their underwear...while they were still wearing them!
They've shown that they are idiots for all the world to see.
Burning another country's flag doesn't have anything to do with free speech in the U.S., and wouldn't get much press. And no, burning an American flag is the perfect demonstration of free speech, because no police or army showed up to disappere them. That's the point. I wish you people would realize you don't have to be a liberal to defend free speech. If it was the second amendemnt, would you be singing the same tune? Or do you even know what the second amendment is?