Ole Miss Heckler's Fraternity Reacts After Racist Monkey Noises Video

After a viral video appeared to show a white student making monkey noises at a Black student during a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) last week, a fraternity announced on Sunday that the heckler had been kicked out of its organization.

Students at Ole Miss had been protesting the ongoing Israel-Hamas war when demonstrations turned volatile after a counterprotester appeared to make monkey noises and gestures at a Black student, a video shared to X, formerly Twitter shows.

The video was reposted by Representative Mike Collins, a Georgia Republican, who wrote, "Ole Miss taking care of business." The clip has amassed over 20 million views since it was shared to social media on Friday.

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Last week, pro-Palestinian protests at Ole Miss were met with several counterprotests, who were reportedly fraternity members. The counterprotesters were carrying flags supporting former President Donald Trump and shouted slogans that included "f*** Joe Biden" and "who's your daddy."

In the viral video, the Black female student can be seen walking toward a group of white students as they appear to mock and film her.

While the counterprotester who was accused of making racist gestures has not been identified, the student's fraternity confirmed in a statement on Sunday that he was removed from the organization.

"Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters is aware of the video regarding the student protest at the University of Mississippi," the statement reads. "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 responsible individual was removed from membership on Friday, May 3."

Newsweek reached out via email on Sunday night to Phi Delta Theta for comment.

In a previous statement to Newsweek, a spokesperson for Ole Miss declined to comment on the video of the confrontation, but said, "Statements were made at the demonstration on our campus Thursday that were offensive and inappropriate. Any actions that violate university policy will be met with appropriate action."

The racist video comes as heated pro-Palestinian protests erupt at college campuses across the United States. Pro-Palestinian protesters are demanding a ceasefire and calling on universities to divest from Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza.

Tensions at college campuses have continued to mount as the war drags on since the Palestinian militant group launched an October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that left 1,200 people dead. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war in Gaza in response and over 76,000 people injured in the war-torn territory, according to the Associated Press, per the Gaza Health Ministry, which notes that at least two-thirds have been children and women.

The number of Palestinian deaths has ignited criticism and scrutiny from across the globe. Meanwhile, some campus demonstrations have turned disruptive and violent, prompting law enforcement intervention and causing top U.S. lawmakers to pass legislation. Recently, the House of Representatives approved the Antisemitism Awareness Act to address reports of rising antisemitism on college campuses amid allegations of Jewish students being targeted during campus protests.