By Ashley Afonso
AMHERST, Mass.
(WWLP) – At least 1,000 veterans gathered in Amherst this afternoon to protest
the removal of the American flag at Hampshire College. 22News spoke to
protesters about why they strongly disagreed with the college’s decision.
Freedom is not free. That’s the lesson that hundreds of
veterans, their families and friends and other local residents hoped to teach
students at Hampshire College Sunday afternoon.
Jerry Maguire, Veteran said, “They took down my flag,
they have a right to that, I’m here to defend their right to do that but I want
them to understand how bad that hurts me.”
Hundreds gathered to show their support of the American
flag and what it stands for after the College removed the flag on campus
earlier this week following the presidential election results. A decision by
the college that outraged many.
David Soucy, a Veteran told 22News, “I was in Iraq 18
months. I got hurt, spent time at Walter Reed. I came home and there’s no way
I’ll let anyone take down the flag, no way. It means a lot to me and my
brothers.”
People came from all over New England to attend this
protest. The news of the flag being taken down upset Springfield Mayor Domenic
Sarno who stood in solidarity with veterans Sunday.
Mayor Domenic Sarno mentioned, “For the students here and
the president and board of trustees have risen from what the veterans
sacrificed, this flag and not to fly the flag on this campus if you were in
some other countries around the world it would be handled very, very
differently.”
The protests remained peaceful with the exception of one
incident, when the protesters went to take a group photo one man sat in the
middle of everyone making obscene gestures.
That man wouldn’t confirm if he was a student. The
college’s president did not attend the demonstration.
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Timeline: Hampshire College flag controversy
By Tamara Sacharczyk, 22News Investigative Reporter
AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) – Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno
will join a group of western Massachusetts veterans on Sunday, to protest
Hampshire College’s decision to remove the American flag from campus.
The controversy started on Wednesday, November 9th, when
the flag was lowered to half-staff by students who were unhappy with the
results of the presidential election. At the time, several local veterans and
community members had told 22News that lowering the flag to half-staff was
disrespectful.
The following night, on Thursday November 10th, the
college’s American flag was burned. Hampshire College President Jonathon Lash
told 22News the incident is still being investigated by campus police.
Hampshire College raised a new flag on Friday, November
11th, in honor of Veterans’ Day. The next day, their Board of Trustees voted to
lower the flag to half-staff again, to “facilitate a continued campus
dialogue.”
President Lash removed the flag all together, the
following week.
Some local veterans were infuriated by the college’s
decision to remove the American flag from the college’s campus. World War II
Veteran Hector Page told 22News the decision to take the flag down was both
disrespectful and irresponsible.
A group of veterans will protest the college’s
decision at 1:00 p.m., on Sunday,
November 27th.
On Saturday, Mayor
Domenic Sarno sent out a news release announcing that he will join that
protest.
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A picture is worth a thousand words.
Bald Eagle, US National Emblem
The bald eagle was chosen June 20, 1782 as the emblem of
the United States of America, because of its long life, great strength and
majestic looks, and also because it was then believed to exist only on this
continent.
