Middlebury College Students Tear Down American Flag in Bar

After being told to leave campus over the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, students at Middlebury College were accused vandalizing a local bar. The bar’s owner claims that students ripped down an American flag from the bar’s storefront. There are widespread reports of vandalism on the campus, with one staff member commenting, “But why take it out on other people here? You’re part of a community.”

According to a report by Campus Reform, a group of students at Middlebury College in Vermont was accused of vandalizing a local bar just hours after they were told that their campus would shut down in response to the Wuhan coronavirus.

In a Facebook post, the local Two Brothers Tavern said that students tore down their American flag during the annual “College Night” event that takes place at the bar each semester. The bar said the students’ behavior was “absolutely disgusting” before disclosing that they are having internal discussions about suspending “College Night” events in the future.

The post reads:

Why? To our late night patrons who were here for one last College Night…it is woefully unacceptable to have pulled part of our Notte sign off the building and to have torn down our American Flag. While I work hard to keep these posts positive, I find this behavior absolutely disgusting, especially in light of everything we are all currently going through. This is a time to come together and support each other as friends and neighbors. It is not a time to tear each other apart, wreak havoc and be destructive. Small businesses like ours have razor thin profit margins and even less time to pay for and fix such things as those caused by last night’s destructive behavior. Have a little respect when you are here, at home and everywhere you go in the world. It will serve you well.

Middlebury College Landscape Horticulturist and Staff Council President Tim Parsons said that he has spent several days working with his staff to clean up the vandalism throughout the campus and surrounding neighborhood.

“There are seniors seeing people maybe for the last time ever, I get it,” Parsons told a student reporter. “But why take it out on other people here? You’re part of a community. [Landscaping staff] would have loved to help students and their families pack up their cars. But instead, they spent their time picking up broken glass.”

Breitbart News reported extensively on a 2017 protest at Middlebury College during which students derailed a guest lecture event featuring Charlies Murray. One professor, who was scheduled to moderate the event, was sent to the hospital after being struck by a student protester.