Radical Student Government Member Destroys 9/11 Memorial To Protest “American Imperialism”
Washington University (WU) in St. Louis, Missouri, student government member caught on camera removing 2,977 American flags honoring the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks off the campus. The kid was seen on camera stuffing them into garbage bags, which was captured on video.
A video released on Saturday by the Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) shows a member of the Washington University student council taking American flags and putting them into garbage bags. Fadel Alkilani, Vice President of Finance of the Student Union, was subsequently named as the perpetrator by the independent student publication Student Life.
WOW: A student senator at @WUSTL was caught on video throwing away 2,977 American flags from conservative students' 9/11: Never Forget Project memorial.
Despicable. pic.twitter.com/j6Wf1mdyLl
— YAF (@yaf) September 11, 2021
As part of the conservative student organization’s “9/11: Never Forget Project,” Alkilani is accused of removing 2,977 American flags from campus — one for each of the victims killed by Islamic terrorists 20 years ago.
The video was shot by Nathaniel Hope, a member of the University of Washington’s College Republicans student organization. Alkilani is claimed to have taken the flags in “protest against American imperialism” and the “900,000 lives sacrificed as a consequence of the post-9/11 conflict,” according to YAF.
According to Student Life, officials at Washington University criticized the removal of the flags on Saturday, but refused to specify whether Alkilani would face disciplinary action as a result of the decision.
“We were disappointed to learn of the disruption to the 9/11 display on Mudd Field,” said Julie Flory, the university’s Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications, in a statement sent to Student Life.
Adding, “We condemn the interference with the expression of support by the College Republicans for the victims of the national tragedy that took place 20 years ago today,” Flory said.
YAF approached Washington Institution with an inquiry, and the university replied by informing the student group that “The actions surrounding this incident were not on behalf of the university or a university-sponsored organization.”
In addition, the university stated that it values “freedom of expression in all forms and will work to ensure that all students are able to express their points of view through appropriate channels” without interfering with the rights of others to show support for causes that they are passionate about. The university spokesperson claims “This is a critical component of our core values and we are committed to facilitating free speech on our campus.”
According to YAF, the stolen flags were ultimately re-planted for the sight and memory of the campus community, as well as for future generations.
Bizarre conduct and anti-American sentiments, such as the reported incident on the WU campus, are not unusual among today’s college-aged students, who are either too young to remember the events of September 11th, 2001, or were too young to be born on that day to have seen them.
Campus Reform recently conducted an interview with students from the University of Florida who expressed their concern that instructors should “avoid assigning blame” and refrain from referring to “American exceptionalism” while teaching about September 11. Students also recommended that instructors “concentrate on the flaws of the United States of America.”
