A University of Missouri student took a large ISIS flag and set it ablaze on campus Thursday afternoon in front of a crowd of about 150 onlookers, some chanting “USA, USA.”
Prior to the act, the student called out the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria as “monsters” and suggested the flag symbolized “hatred and intolerance.”
The demonstration was organized by Mizzou’s Young Americans for Liberty chapter, and the student who led the charge was 21-year-old political science major Ian Paris, president of the libertarian group.
The brave act of defiance was chronicled by a sea of cameras.
Paris’ target wasn’t just ISIS. He had a few words to say about U.S. intervention in the Middle East as well, noting “our government, through a failure in leadership … has helped pave the way for such a disastrous condition such as is found in the Middle East today.”
One Muslim student in attendance told The College Fix he was grateful “there are people willing to publicly stand against ISIS.”
Nevertheless, some questioned whether the act would invite trouble to the university, hurt relations with the Muslim community, or put students in danger.
Paris had stood his ground, saying “if I succumb to the fear of ISIS objecting to my actions, I have succumbed to the terrorists.”