Ex-Marine Holding Flag in Tear Gas Cloud Becomes Symbol at Illinois Protest

 A Marine veteran was photographed holding an American flag while tear gas swirled around him during a Sept. 19 protest against immigration raids outside a federal facility in Broadview, Illinois, a moment that quickly went viral online.

Curtis Evans, 65, from Evanston, Illinois, shared that his Marine Corps training enabled him to stay calm while federal agents deployed tear gas and pepper balls into a crowd of over 100 demonstrators assembled outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.

Stacey Wescott, a photographer for the Chicago Tribune, documented the moment when Evans held a large American flag amidst swirling smoke, as people hurried to find safety. The image made headlines on the front page of the Tribune the following day and quickly circulated across various social media platforms, including military discussion boards.

“My Marine Corps training hit me,” Evans shared with Task & Purpose. “They would subject us to gas every year as a form of training, just for amusement.” One of the insights gained is that it triggers all the alarms within your body. It’s suffocating, visibility is lost, and pain is present, yet it’s merely the sirens blaring.

A demonstration occurred following the initiation of Operation Midway Blitz by federal agencies, which involved a range of immigration enforcement activities in the Chicago region. Among the demonstrators were elected officials, faith leaders, and candidates for Congress. As agents swung open the gates to allow a vehicle to exit, they unleashed tear gas canisters and pepper balls. Several demonstrators, among them a reverend, were struck.

Evans remained resolute, although he later reported being pushed to the ground. He remembered the experience of tear gas combined with pepper balls: “Strangely, it’s like enjoying a spicy meal when an unexpected flavor suddenly emerges.”

A Marine from 1980, Evans worked in communications intelligence in Hawaii during peaceful times before departing from the Corps in the mid-1980s. He characterized his service as challenging yet transformative. 

Having stepped away from public works, Evans remains engaged in community initiatives and has recently offered his support to Illinois congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh. She later shared her thoughts about him online, calling him “the nicest dude you’ll ever meet, wildly dependable, and apparently capable of taking the coolest photo of 2025.”

Discussions on the Marine Corps subreddit highlighted Evans’ “sidearm flag,” a compact U.S. flag placed in his pocket. He ultimately passed it on to a fellow demonstrator. Evans stated that he intentionally chose not to bring protective gear, opting to be visibly present.

“It gives the illusion I was standing as some lone warrior in a cloud of gas,” he said. “But people got hurt, people were hurt purposefully.”

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