A Student Was Filmed Putting American Flags in a Trash Bag on 9/11. He Says He Was Protesting Islamophobia.
Andrea Salcedo of The Washington Post reports that a student at Washington University in St. Louis was filmed removing flags that were a part of a 9/11 memorial set up by College Republicans on campus. The student, who is Muslim, has faced Islamophobic backlash and doxxing since the event. Salcedo writes, “Now, the university has launched an investigation into the incident, which its chancellor called ‘reprehensible’ and an attack on the free speech of the College Republicans.” The student said he intended to rearrange the memorial and put into context other lives that were lost or changed after 9/11, including Muslim Americans and those in countries the U.S. invaded. In a statement, the student said, “Any memorial of 9/11 that does not contend with these facts is not only incomplete, but it also amplifies pro-imperialist sentiment and actively disrespects those who have died because of American Invasion.”