A man who burnt a cross in a Chicago park, claiming it was a protest of President Donald Trump, was charged with a hate crime, arson and other offenses. 

Merlin Lu, 21, told NBC Chicago, that, while he knew that a burning cross was historically a symbol of racism, he had placed a MAGA hat on top of the cross and intended the act to be a protest of the "ruling class" and Christian nationalists who support Trump. 

Police said in a statement on Wednesday that Lu, who is a University of Illinois Chicago senior studying chemistry, is charged with four felonies and four misdemeanors, including a hate crime and burning a cross to intimidate, ABC News reported. 

He is scheduled to appear in court for a detention hearing on Thursday.