After pro-Palestinian demonstrators were met with racist jeers from counter-protestors at University of Mississippi on Thursday, Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) reposted a video of a student making monkey noises towards a Black woman, captioning it “Ole Miss taking care of business.”
Roughly 25 student demonstrators took to the campus quad this week to protest the ongoing killings in Gaza, carrying Palestinian flags and signs reading “Stop the Genocide.” Amid “free Palestine” calls, hundreds of counter protestors showed up, throwing food and bottles and flipping off the pro-Palestinian gathering, with some reportedly waving Trump flags. Counter-demonstrators recited the national anthem and chanted “lock her up,” “hit the showers,” and a variety of racist remarks.
In the video reposted by the Georgia representative on X, formerly Twitter, a group of students in American flag apparel viciously boo and jeer at a Black demonstrator, including the student making monkey noises. As police attempted to keep the two groups separated, counter-protestors appeared to push further towards the pro-Palestinian group. Eventually, according to local news station WTVA, the pro-Palestinian protestors had to be escorted off campus by law enforcement.
Amongst others, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves showed support for the counter-protestors, posting on X that the counter-protests “warms [his] heart.”
Collins, who voted no on the House bill to expand the definition of antisemitism, has previously amplified posts by avowed neo-Nazis, including one in March of this year which targeted a Jewish reporter.