Five people were arrested for failure to disperse after a protest in Philadelphia‘s Washington Square tried to set a large American flag on fire, police said. Around 25 protesters gathered at the southeast sidewalk of the Center City and began to hold a demonstration. At some point, a “prote ster “a protest leader placed a large American flag on the sidewalk and doused it with an accelerant in an apparent attempt to set it on fire,” police said. Officers moved with a fire extinguisher to prevent a fire, which would have been a hazard to the park, police said. “Members of the crowd formed a physical circle to block the officers, prompting bicycle officers to intervene, part the crowd, and successfully secure the area before a fire could be started,” police said. According to police, members of the crowd were growing hostile and ignored several dispersal orders, leading to three men and two women getting arrested for failure to disperse. The identities of those arrested have not been released, and what group or groups behind the protest have not been identified. No injuries were reported, and the rest of the crowd dispersed without arrests being made, police said. ...read more read less