Which case established that flag burning is considered protected speech?

The case that established flag burning as protected speech is Texas v. Johnson. In this landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the act of burning the American flag constitutes a form of symbolic speech, which is safeguarded under the First Amendment. The Court determined that even though such actions may be offensive to many, the government cannot prohibit expression simply because it is controversial or unpopular. This ruling emphasized that the government has a limited ability to regulate expression based on its content, promoting the notion that free speech encompasses a wide array of expressive acts, including those that may be seen as disrespectful or provocative, like flag burning.

Other options do not pertain to issues of symbolic speech: Roe v. Wade deals with a woman's right to choose regarding abortion, Brown v. Board of Education addresses racial segregation in public schools, and New York Times Co. v. Sullivan focuses on freedom of the press and defamation. Thus, none of these cases relate to the protection of flag burning as speech.