A group of students from the University of Mississippi held a protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza on Thursday. They also demanded transparency from the university regarding any potential dealings with Israel.
However, the number of students supporting the Palestinian protesters was much less in comparison to the number of counter-protesters, which was in the hundreds. Stacey J. Spiehler filmed a counter-protester making monkey noises toward an unarmed Black protester who was livestreaming the event. The young lady filming the incident stepped outside the barrier and approached a group of male students while still on live.
“Lock her up,” the group chanted.
Spiehler applauded the Black student for showing empathy while other students attacked her.
“Counter-protesters were throwing things. I saw half a chicken parm sandwich on the ground, a carrot,” Spiehler told The Guardian. “She was brave, holding her own, and had more intelligence and empathy in her little finger than that whole crowd. Whether or not you agree with her, she embodies UM.”
A counter-protester jumps up and down and hoots like a monkey toward a protester who was live-streaming on her phone at @OleMiss today.
— Stacey J. Spiehler (@StaceyJSpiehler) May 3, 2024
Chants of “lock her up” as the Dean of Students (@marsh_brent) and multiple law enforcement agencies regain order. pic.twitter.com/fCU3hTioVL
Phi Delta Theta fraternity issued a statement acknowledging the video that showed the actions of one counter-protester during a protest and announced that it had removed that individual from membership.
“The racist actions in the video were those of an individual and are antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta and the Mississippi Alpha chapter,” the national fraternity said in a statement Sunday. “The responsible individual was removed from membership on Friday, May 3.”
“After reviewing the incident, it was determined that the individual’s behavior was unacceptable,” the fraternity added in an updated statement on Monday. “The action in question was offensive, outside the bounds of this discourse and contradictory to our values. In partnership with local alumni, undergraduate leadership and the university, disciplinary due process was initiated, which resulted in the removal of membership.”
Pro-Palestinian protests continued on campuses across the nation over the Israeli-Gaza conflict. Approximately an hour after the protest began, police shut it down and safely evacuated pro-Palestinian students as counter-protesters threw water bottles.
“Nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye,” the largely white male group chanted.
Ole Miss announced its school policy has been updated since this incident, the Independent reported.
“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,” an Ole Miss spokesperson said.
In response, UMiss for Palestine, the student group behind the protest, raised an outcry.
“We were confronted by counter-protesters who engaged in blind reactionism that had little to do with the genocide we were protesting as well as our demands,” UMiss for Palestine said in a statement on social media.
The University of Mississippi’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People posted an Instagram statement critiquing the counter-protesters.
“The behavior witnessed today was not only abhorrent but also entirely unacceptable,” the statement read, the Guardian reported. “It is deeply disheartening to witness such blatant disregard for the principles of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.”
