Racial slurs yelled at Ole Miss Obama protest

A University Police Department officer leads a protester away from a public disturbance on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Wednesday morning, Nov. 7, 2012. / AP Photo/The Daily Mississippian, Thomas Graning

JACKSON, Miss. A protest at the University of Mississippi against the re-election of President Obama grew into a crowd of about 400 people with shouted racial slurs as rumors of a riot spread on social media. Two people were arrested on minor charges.

The university said in a statement Wednesday that the gathering at the student union began late Tuesday night with about 30 to 40 students, but grew within 20 minutes as word spread. Some students chanted political slogans while others used derogatory racial statements and profanity, the statement said.

The incident comes just after the 50th anniversary of violent rioting that greeted the forced integration of Ole Miss with the enrollment of its first black student, James Meredith.

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Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones promised an investigation and said "all of us are ashamed of the few students who have negatively affected the reputations of each of us and of our university."

Police were alerted by people who saw Twitter posts about it. The students were told to leave, but about 100 came back later. One person was charged with public intoxication and another with failure to comply with police orders. There were no reports of injuries or property damage.

"I wasn't afraid at all," Ole Miss junior Atearanie Starks told CBS Jackson affiliate WJTV-TV. "Some of my friends told me that their parents was calling them, checking on them, making sure they was OK."

Rumors about the situation were fueled on Twitter after the university's student journalists posted a video referring to the gathering as "riots." The student newspaper posted a video of the crowd, but much of what the students said in it is unintelligible other than the "Hotty Toddy" cheer, which is common at football games and other school gatherings.

(Below, watch the student footage in a video from CBS affiliate WIAT-TV in Birmingham, Ala.)

One picture that spread rapidly on social media shows people burning an Obama campaign sign, but the university hasn't confirmed that the picture was taken on campus. The chancellor said some photos shared on social media showed things that were not seen by police on campus, but the reports of uncivil language and racial slurs appeared to be accurate.

Some students and teachers used social media to condemn the conflict.

Ellen Meacham, an Ole Miss journalism instructor, posted on Facebook that "anyone who calls that a riot has never read or heard anything about 1962."

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She was referring to when Meredith became the first black student to enroll at the university on Oct. 1, 1962. Federal authorities deployed more than 3,000 soldiers and more than 500 law enforcement officers to Oxford during the integration. An angry mob started an uprising that killed two white men. More than 200 people were injured. Ole Miss sponsored lectures and other events this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary.

"Now, 50 years later, about 2 percent of the overall student body goes out to protest when their guy doesn't win the presidency and a portion of that small percentage displays the ugly strain that still infects too many in our student body," Meacham wrote.

In a state with a 37 percent African-American population, Ole Miss now has a black enrollment of about 16.6 percent. The current student body president, Kim Dandridge, is the fourth black person elected to the post.

Jones said the campus was back to normal Wednesday.

The university held an event Wednesday evening called the "We are One Mississippi" candlelight walk to condemn the protest.

[peachallie]

"you black's" "Socialistic" The improper use of the possessive isn't confined to Mississippi slow learners, but it makes the posts even more ridiculous.

Glad I live in Florida, I can see where the backroads ************ hangout, in Mississippi. I considered Romney until he picked Ryan, voted for the President this time. Obama has no magic wand, what human could have undone what the horrendous disaster known as George W. Bush left, in four years? The 9/11 dead, the Katrina dead**, the dead from Bush's War; they will never live again, and they deserve more than the mangled syntax of ignorant hardcore right wingers.

*My father's term, he served in WWII, at age 17, Korea AND Vietnam while Reagan/Bush II wined & dined the wars away, safely in the US. GHWB, DOLE & MCCAIN actually SERVED, which is why today's Pubbies loved the DODGERS, its so much more COMFORTABLE. Question: Which of the three gave up an EARNED exemption from the draft:

Bush
Cheney
Clinton

CLINTON, when he protested the war. Bush II & Cheney were never eligible for the draft. NOT ONCE. Romney went to FRANCE, the former enemy of the rabid right, NOW the place all good Americans should sit out wars.

My problem isn't with Romney putting his duties to his church first; LDS missionaries live like paupers. Its SOME of Romney's supporters that killed his campaign.

*Baby Bush ignored ACE requests for the TWENTY YEAR SELA levee restoration project, he saved about 500 million by gutting the budget, at a cost of 100+ BILLION when the levees failed. James Buchanan would look good next to Bush. And given the cesspool he walked into, Obama has fared pretty well. He works hard, is brilliant, and has a decent heart. THAT must be what makes the low IQ crowd bat crazy.

[glrglrred]

Like John Stewart said "Obama won the country and Romney won the confederacy"
You have to have a real small brain to be a racist now a days no matter what color you are.

[mack_jackson]

I am an African-American native of Mississippi. I read a few of the comments posted regarding this story. I am sorry that you feel this puts your university in a negative light. I have a cousin that graduated from Ole Miss's Law School over 30 years ago. It is shameful that the same disdain that met her in person is shared for a man many of you have never meet simply because he does not share your skin color. It is also a shame that the future of Mississippi will be populated with adults who used to be the students that did this.

[tashpres0167]

Unfortunately for us "blacks" we are proud enough to claim America. America has not been proud enough to claim us. "Latinos and mexican-americans" came here willingly. "Blacks" were forced. Where would we we go at this point? Open your eyes and realize that there are "Italian Americans" "German Americans" "Russian Americans" "Greek Americans" that distinguish themselves just as the "African Americans" and "Latino Americans" do. Stop with the double standards. I'm black, yes, and I can trace my family's history in this country probably a lot farther than most "whites". That does not make me better than any African who just stepped off the plane. Why do "whites" feel so entitled in a nation of immigrants? The article reported an unacceptable event. Face it. It is what it is...wrong.

[tashpres0167]

Unfortunately for us "blacks" we are proud enough to claim America. America has not been proud enough to claim us. "Latinos and mexican-americans" came here willingly. "Blacks" were forced. Where would we we go at this point? Open your eyes and realize that there are "Italian Americans" "German Americans" "Russian Americans" "Greek Americans" that distinguish themselves just as the "African Americans" and "Latino Americans" do. Stop with the double standards. I'm black, yes, and I can trace my family's history in this country probably a lot farther than most "whites". That does not make me better than any African who just stepped off the plane. Why do "whites" feel so entitled in a nation of immigrants? The article reported an unacceptable event. Face it. It is what it is...wrong.

[Jeremy_Coleman]

So you are claiming that the university as a whole believes in these acts? How dare you generalize us by judgmental claims that this is expected of all Ole Miss students. Open your eyes, racism is everywhere. I am from Chicago attending this great university and even in our president's/my home city there are acts of racism.

[Enough2011]

Seriously? Then with your profession of 'great university' and only 'a few' what did you do to stop it missippi?

[liberalmike]

Hell alabama re-elected the 10 commandments judge roy moore.
He wanted to put the 10 commandments on the wall in courthouse.

Talk about backwards this state is full of repubs and many are indeed racist also!

I am afraid to even put a O'Bama bumper sticker on my car here.

[Holly-wood]

It sounds like the KKK is alive and well down in Crackerland. In the 1860s the Civil War was fought because the reddest of redneck states today wanted to succeed. From Texas and Oklahoma and all states to the east, except Virginia and Florida, I say let them succeed.

Let them pay their share of the national debt, pay fair market value for federal lands in their states, and let them be gone. Who needs them anyway? While the majority of the nation wants to move forward into the twenty-first century, they want to go back to the nineteenth century.

[Holly-wood]

Correction: Make that "wanted to secede" instead of "succeed"

[Marxistslayer]

You ignorant crackheads do more harm to this country at any measured second than what happened at ole miss. Too all you ignorant fools that support the TYRANY of the state and think your boy in the White House will now do the dirty work for you? You ain't seen nothin yet. We know you can destroy, we know how to destroy and how to build civilizations! Stand down crackheads, or not.

[Jeremy_Coleman]

I am an Ole Miss student and yes what happened this past week was wrong and unjust. We are a family and community of individuals looking to become leaders in society so that one day we can provide a good influence to all others. We do have a right to protest but the actions that were made were morally wrong and embarrassing. With that being said the news has blown up this story way out of proportion as usual. It was not 400 students all shouting racial slurs, throwing rocks, and burning Obama/Biden posters. It was a select few of about 40-50 students who took part in these actions, all of the other students who were there were checking out what was going on. Please do not bash The University of Mississippi and stereotype all of our student body for the wrongdoings of a few. If you judge us all in such a matter then you America are just as shameful and ignorant.

[steeepe]

Thanks for that insight. I was discouraged by the media reports.

[cntrygirl3]

Thank you young man, you give me a great deal of hope for our future.

[derickwh]

I am a white Romney supporter, that being said, I am ashamed at those people whose IQ's are so low as to use racial slurs at our President. I'm not a fan of OBAMACARE, but I DO think that, other than that, President Obama has done as well as can be expected. Whether or not the economy has completely recovered can not be the only question, remember that it was MY republican House that held all of the country hostage over the debt cap, not the democrats or the President. One man can neither get the WHOLE credit or the WHOLE blame, and certainly his ethnicity should not be ridiculed. Above all, we are all AMERICANS, including the President. Support his good decisions and question what you may feel are bad decisions, but do not use race as a reason. It's people like these (white AND black) that keep racism alive. I am ASHAMED to live in the same region of the United States as these obviously low-educated individuals. Remember your "rights" are yours as long as you don't use them to infringe upon others "rights", they are not yours to be wielded like a sword.

[jenbaseball]

You are too smart to be a Romney or GOP supporter. I'd welcome your thoughts and ideas in the Democratic party.

[walkthetalk]

I don't approve of their actions but this President more than any other has split our country in half with convoluted socialistic policies. He is not the great uniter but he is the great divider.

[hawk_420]

Obama Has Split Our Country in half with Socialistic polices

YOU Lost This is just your kind of crowed RASIST Bigots!!
OH yeah "don't blame all of us most were just watching"

Idiot That's what is meant when they say all it takes for evil to win is for good folk to do nothing.

ONCE AGAIN YOU LOST AND YOU WILL NEVR WIN AGAIN
GET USED TO BEING THE LOSERS YOU WORTHLESS LOW LIFE BIGOT

JUST SO YOU KNOW YOUR NO LONGER PART OF THIS COUNTRY WE ARE GOING TO PUT ALL OF YOU IN FEMA RE-EDUCATION CAMPS AND HOPEFULLY YOU WILL NEVER BE LET OUT

LOSERS HOPE YOU ROT IN THOSE CAMPS!!!!

[ichibandan]

Why don't you give us some examples of how he split the country, Walkthetalk. No BS now, just truth. Keep in mind many of us actually know what a socialist is.

[mmrosshotmail]

Hmmm!!!!!!!!...SCARY