The University of Mississippi announced they have opened an investigation into reports of students making hostile and racial gestures toward Black students on campus.
The University’s chancellor, Glenn F. Boyce sent a letter to students and staff noting that Ole Miss leaders were aware of behaviors that were “offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable, including actions that conveyed hostility and racist overtones” at Thursday’s protest, with NBC reporting that “statements were made at the demonstration on our campus Thursday that were offensive and inappropriate”. Boyce wrote: “While student privacy laws prohibit us from commenting on any specific student, we have opened one student conduct investigation. We are working to determine whether more cases are warranted.”
A video posted online with many noting that the pro-Palestinian demonstrators appeared to be a multiracial group but were surrounded by a mostly white group of Ole Miss counterprotesters taunting them at a pro-Gaza rally on campus. The one confrontation which drew particular offense showed a Black female graduate student on the protest side of a barricade went up to two young men to record the group as they yelled in her direction, and a man can be seen jumping up and down and appearing to make a noise to imitate an ape at the woman.
In a statement provided to The Independent, a spokesperson for Ole Miss said: “Statements were made at the demonstration on our campus Thursday that were offensive and inappropriate. We cannot comment specifically about that video, but the university is looking into reports about specific actions. Any actions that violate university policy will be met with appropriate action.”
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