A veterans memorial at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) was recently vandalized with anti-Israel messages. University officials reportedly told a local news outlet that they were working to remove the vandalism from the site Friday night.
The top of the memorial statue was vandalized with messages saying “Free Palestine,” “We have failed ourselves,” and “How many must die?”
“We are aware of the vile act of vandalism that has occurred and are taking immediate steps to remove the defacement of the memorial,” an ETSU spokesperson said in a statement to local news. “Our service members — most especially those who have fallen in service — deserve our utmost respect. This behavior is a violation of ETSU’s code of conduct and the law.”
The memorial was dedicated on November 11, 2003, as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the university’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. The site is also meant to honor ETSU graduates who have fallen while serving in the military.
In response, the university’s chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a conservative student activist organization, condemned the criminal activity as “cowardly actions” in a statement posted to Instagram.
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“When looking at this defaced monument, we ask the vandals and those in support of their actions, what has been accomplished for the movement?” the statement read. “Defacing a monument meant to honor the lives of ETSU’s very own who laid down their lives for the freedoms of this county does nothing for this movement besides discredit it further.”
TPUSA at ETSU went on to speculate that the vandalism was in response to an upcoming on-campus speaking engagement headlined by Mosab Hassan Yousef. The son of a co-founder of Hamas, Yousef defected to Israel and converted to Christianity. He is scheduled to appear at ETSU on March 28, TPUSA at ETSU said in its Instagram post.
Left-wing student activists at the university previously protested an on-campus appearance by conservative speaker and author Kyle Rittenhouse, The Tennessee Star reported at the time. The school’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America condemned Rittenhouse as being associated with white supremacy and demanded that the university create a hate speech policy that could violate state law.
TPUSA at ETSU President Lakie Derrick told The Star in February about her harrowing experiences with student activists on campus. Derrick was harassed on social media platforms by far-left activists after publicly stating her conservative Christian beliefs.
It is not clear when the vandalism against ETSU’s memorial took place or who is responsible.
Anyone with information on the vandalism can notify ETSU’s Department of Public Safety at 423-439-4480 or [email protected].
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Matthew Giffin is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Matthew on Twitter/X.
Photo “East Tennessee State University Welcome Sign” by East Tennessee State University.
