Dozens of students at the University of Mississippi gathered this week to protest against Israel’s war in Gaza and to call for the state’s flagship university to be transparent in its potential dealings with Israel.
There were hundreds of counter-protesters, in contrast to the few dozen pro-Palestine protesters. The scene evoked memories of the resistance to the civil rights struggle in the US south six decades earlier.
University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce said the school was aware that “some statements made were offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable, including actions that conveyed hostility and racist overtones.”
Boyce said the school has opened a student conduct investigation into one student, but couldn’t name who under privacy laws. He said some individuals acted in ways that conflict with university values.
“While we are a modern university with a vibrant community of more than 25,000 people, it is important to acknowledge our challenging history, and incidents like this can set us back,” he wrote in an email to the campus community. “It is one reason why we do not take this lightly and cannot let the unacceptable behavior of a few speak for our institution or define us.”
The counter-protesters included individuals waving American flags and Trump flags. At one point, they sang the American national anthem, drowning out the pro-Palestine group’s chants. The Oxford Eagle reported that one person held a “Come and take it” flag while another flew a “Don’t tread on me” banner. The pro-Palestine students held signs reading “Jesus was a Palestinian”, “Stop the genocide” and “Cut all ties with Israel”.
Less than an hour after the protest began, police disbanded it – notably after counter-protests threw items, including water bottles, at the pro-Palestine group. Police safely evacuated the pro-Palestine students as the largely white, male group of counter-protesters chanted, “Nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye,” according to Mississippi Today.
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