Ole Miss opens conduct investigation following protest confrontation

The University of Mississippi has opened astatine slightest 1 student behaviour investigation aft videos of pro-Palestinian protesters surrounded by antagonistic protesters circulated online, including 1 that galore person singled retired arsenic racist.

Chancellor Glenn F. Boyce sent a missive to students and unit connected Friday noting that Ole Miss leaders were alert of behaviors that were "offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable, including actions that conveyed hostility and racist overtones" astatine Thursday's protest.

"While student privateness laws prohibit america from commenting connected immoderate circumstantial student, we person opened 1 student behaviour investigation," Boyce wrote. "We are moving to find whether much cases are warranted."

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators clasp signs protesting nan Israel-Hamas warfare astatine nan University of Mississippi connected Thursday.Maria Ramirez / The Daily Mississippian via AP

On Thursday, a group of astir 30 to 60 pro-Palestinian protestors gathered connected nan Quad and added to nan database of demonstrations connected assemblage campuses nationwide. But nan arena turned dispute arsenic they were outnumbered by antagonistic protesters, who astatine 1 constituent drowned retired nan chants of protesters by singing “The Star-Spangled Banner."

Videos of nan arena circulated online, galore noting that nan pro-Palestinian demonstrators appeared to beryllium a multi-racial group but were surrounded by a mostly achromatic group of antagonistic protesters taunting them.

One confrontation drew peculiar offense, successful which a Black female postgraduate student connected nan protestation broadside of a barricade went up to 2 young men to grounds nan group them arsenic they yelled successful her direction.

In nan area of 1 widely-shared video, a man tin beryllium seen jumping up and down and appearing to make a sound to simulate an ape astatine nan woman.

Hecklers outcry astatine a pro-Palestinian protester astatine nan University of Mississippi successful Oxford, Miss., connected Thursday.Stacey J. Spiehler via AP

Other members of nan group yelled "Lizzo" and "Lock her up" astatine nan woman, who was guided distant by police.

The university's Black Student Union released a connection successful solidarity pinch nan pro-Palestinian group, who them described arsenic "nonviolent demonstrators who were advocating for Palestine," according to The Daily Mississippian.

"The students were exercising their correct nether nan First Amendment, while nan counter-protesters were coming pinch malicious intent arsenic good arsenic a salient deficiency of knowledge connected nan business astatine hand," nan statement posted to Instagram said.

Commenters online condemned nan incident, drafting nan racist overtones of nan relationship to nan agelong history of group animus and unit successful Mississippi.

More than 100 years ago, nan state's senators voted to nonstop each of its Black people back to Africa. When nan assemblage was ordered by a national tribunal to admit Black students successful 1962, 2,000 achromatic group rioted against nan presence of caller student James Meredith. 

University of Mississippi students show connected field against nan admittance of African American student James Meredith successful Oxford, Miss., connected Sept. 20, 1962.Bettmann Archive / Getty Images file

And contempt being located successful a authorities pinch 1 of nan highest organization of Black residents, only 11.4 percent of nan University of Mississippi student body is Black.

Boyce's connection connected Friday acknowledged some student and faculty's authorities to free reside and serene assembly nether nan First Amendment, but singled retired behaviors that demeaned group "because of their title aliases ethnicity" arsenic contrary to nan school's values. He added that it is "important to admit our challenging history, and incidents for illustration this tin group america back."

"It is 1 logic why we do not return this lightly and cannot fto nan unacceptable behaviour of a fewer speak for our institution aliases specify us," Boyce said. "We are a organization of scholars committed to creating an world acquisition that respects nan dignity of each individual."