Yesterday, a former UW employee self-immolated himself in Red Square in the middle of the UW campus. The man was 61 years old and had worked for UW as recently as two weeks ago. At least one student tried to stop him. A student who photographed the burning had his camera confiscated by the police. Walking thru Red Square today, the center of the plaza was surrounded in a circle of yellow police tape, small flower vigils placed along its borders.

This is profoundly sad.