October 19, 2001
Director of Media Relations
413/542-8417

AMHERST, Mass.—The Amherst Assembly for Patriotism, a new student group at Amherst College, held its first rally, at which more than 100 students, staff and faculty spoke out about the meaning of patriotism, on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 1 p.m. at the Keefe Campus Center.

As the assembly ended, at about 2 p.m., six to eight non-Amherst protestors arrived unexpectedly, handing out anti-war leaflets. They were not Amherst College students. They burned two flags and stepped on a third. After the flag-burning, which attracted considerable media attention, a half hour of discussion ensued between the Amherst College students at the rally and the outside protestors.