A 9/11 memorial at a California university was vandalized after several American flags placed in honor of the victims were marked with antifa-related and pro-Palestinian messages, turning a tribute to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror attacks into the center of a campus investigation.
The display at California State University Stanislaus included 2,977 American flags, each representing a life lost on Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial was part of Young America’s Foundation’s annual “9/11: Never Forget Project,” a nationwide effort to help students commemorate the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Some of the flags were later found defaced with political slogans and markings, including “Free Palestine,” “Blowback” and “161.”
The number “161” is often used as a coded reference to “Anti-Fascist Action,” reflecting the placement of the letters A, F and A in the alphabet. “Blowback” is commonly used to describe unintended consequences, including violence, that can follow government actions or covert operations.
Officials at Stanislaus State confirmed to the California Post that university police were notified about the damage to the 9/11 memorial and have opened an investigation.
“The University Police Department at Stanislaus State received a report of the vandalism and is actively investigating the situation,” the university said in a statement.
Young America’s Foundation, the conservative youth organization that sponsors the remembrance initiative on campuses nationwide, condemned the vandalism and said students should be free to honor the victims of 9/11 without harassment or threats.
“Defacing a memorial honoring 2,977 innocent Americans is disgraceful,” the organization told the California Post.
YAF also described the incident as part of what it called a troubling pattern in which conservative students are targeted for speaking out or participating in remembrance events. The group said no student should have to worry about vandalism or intimidation while paying tribute to those killed on September 11.
Despite the incident, the organization said the vandalism would not stop its annual campaign to preserve the memory of the 9/11 victims.
“Twenty-five years later, we will not be bullied into silence, and we will never forget,” YAF said.
Through its “9/11: Never Forget Project,” YAF encourages students at colleges and schools across the United States to create memorial displays honoring the people who died in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The displays typically feature 2,977 American flags planted across campus lawns, creating a sea of red, white and blue representing each life lost in the attacks.
CSU Stanislaus is a public university located in Turlock, roughly 100 miles east of San Francisco.
University police did not identify any suspects in the alleged vandalism, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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