Several University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) students are facing expulsion calls after they were involved in a "racist" confrontation amid ongoing pro-Palestinian campus protests in the United States
On Sunday, the University of Mississippi chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), shared a post on Instagram requesting the "expulsion of individuals identified as the primary perpetrators of racist remarks and actions that constitute derogatory and offensive behavior."
The Instagram post identified three students who were reportedly involved in the incident on campus as some students led a counter-protest to a pro-Palestinian protest. Colleges across the U.S. have seen demonstrations over recent weeks as student protesters call for their schools to divest from Israel amid its war in Gaza.
Last week, several social media users shared a video on X, formerly Twitter, showing a confrontation between several white students and a Black student on the Ole Miss campus. In the video, the Black female student can be seen walking toward a group of white students as they appear to mock and film her. As the video continues, law enforcement officials on campus can be seen attempting to break up the confrontation and de-escalate the situation.
A spokesperson for Ole Miss previously told Newsweek "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."
In an updated statement, the university said, "Student privacy laws prohibit us from commenting on any specific student. The University is aware that some statements made at the event were offensive and unacceptable. We have opened one student conduct investigation, and we are working to determine whether more cases are warranted."
"We are committed to upholding a safe and welcoming campus environment, and we will not tolerate discrimination, intimidation, or racial harassment of anyone in our campus community," the spokesperson said.
In addition to the school's investigation, the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at Ole Miss announced the removal of one of its members who was involved in the counterprotests.
"Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters is aware of the video regarding the student protest at the University of Mississippi," the fraternity said. "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 to Ole Miss via email on Monday for updated comment on calls for expulsion.
Students are leading pro-Palestinian protests at American schools as the Israel-Hamas war reaches its seventh month. On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking over 200 more hostage. Israel subsequently launched a war against Hamas in Gaza that has killed over 34,000 people, the Associated Press reported, citing Gaza health officials.
At Columbia University in New York City, hundreds of students who had set up a "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" on campus were arrested last week. Protests were seen at other schools like New York University, George Washington University, Yale University, Northwestern University, and the University of California, Los Angeles, and more.
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Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
