Last week, Hampshire College decided to remove the American flag from its main flagpole.
The New York Times reported that a group of military veterans protested the college's decision on Sunday afternoon. The public Facebook event estimated that around 400 people attended the protest, which described the event as a "peaceful demonstration of freedom" in the details section.
On Nov. 9, the day after the presidential election, Hampshire students lowered the flag to half-staff. The college released a statement justifying the decision by saying it was a "reaction to the toxic tone" of the lengthy election. The flag remained lowered for some time after that.
The college's president, Jonathan Lash, said that some students viewed the flag as a "powerful symbol of fear they've felt all their lives because they grew up in marginalized communities, never feeling safe," The Times reported
The veteran's protest followed the burning of the flag on campus. Hampshire's campus police are still investigating the incident, which is believed to have occurred sometime during the evening of Nov. 10 or in the early hours of Nov. 11. Although the flag was replaced, the college's board of trustees voted to fly it at half-staff once again.
Within that week, Mr. Lash sent an email informing the campus that the flag would be taken down entirely, The Times reported. He said, "Some have perceived the action of lowering the flag as a commentary on the results of the presidential election. This, unequivocally, was not our intent."
The veterans that gathered on Sunday did so as a "show of solidarity and respect" for the flag and other military veterans. In a video from the protest, they are seen waving American flags on campus green and chanting "raise our flag."
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