US flag at berkeley flipped in sign of distress

3/19/03

Students at U.C. Berkeley, the east-bay university which was home to the Free Speech movement of the sixties, left their classes today to find the central flag on campus turned upside down.
According to all hands magazine, a Navy publication, the flying of a flag upside down is considered a distress signal. Many at the university find this to be a time of significant distress, as the Bush administration has ignored the voices of the world and Americans alike in what many see as a foolish and dangerous drive towards war with Iraq. There is also distress about the future of the university, facing significant budget cuts due to California's multibillion dollar deficit.
No one has claimed responsibility for this action, though a sign taped nearby explains the flag's nature as a distress signal and asks that students and administration "Please respect the nature of the symbol and leave the flag as is".