AMHERST, Mass., Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., raised the U.S. flag on campus Friday weeks after it was removed to facilitate a discussion of its symbolism, school officials said.
That discussion, prompted by suggestions from some students at the liberal arts college that the flag was emblematic of racism, discontent over the 2016 presidential election and other examples of societal division, drew an angry but civil response from other students, as well as local residents. The flag last flew at the top of the main flagpole of the school on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, but was restored Friday.
A U.S. flag was burned on campus on Nov. 10 following Election Day, an apparent protest of the election of Donald Trump as president. A replacement flag was installed at half-staff until Nov. 18, when Jonathan Lash, college president, ordered it removed to "enable discussion" about the anger felt on campus following the election. Hundreds of people, including many veterans, attended an on-campus demonstration on Nov. 27 in support of the flag, and the school received condemnation from local public officials, as well as angry emails and comments from around the country.
"The American flag is a disruption for some of the people on campus, for whom it represents the experiences they've had with racism and injustice. It's a very frightening symbol," Lash told WWLP-TV, Springfield, Mass.
The school released a statement Friday, reading in part, "This morning we raised the United States flag to full staff at Hampshire College after a two-week discussion period about what the flag means to members of the Hampshire community.
"College leadership, including the board of trustees, had decided on Nov. 18 to lower the flag for a time to encourage uninhibited expression of deeply held viewpoints. We are alarmed by the overt hate and threats, especially toward people in marginalized communities, which have escalated in recent weeks. We did not lower the flag to make a political statement. Nor did we intend to cause offense to veterans, military families, or others for whom the flag represents service and sacrifice. We acted solely to facilitate much-needed dialogue on our campus about how to dismantle the bigotry that is prevalent in our society."
Another rally in support of the flag is scheduled at the school on Sunday.
