Swastika projected on University of Wisconsin-Whitewater dorm by group 'chanting racist words'
A swastika was projected on the facade of a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater dorm Sunday night by a group of people chanting racist remarks, according to school officials and video posted on social media.
The incident involved four people outside the Knilans residence hall Sunday night, the night before the start of the spring term, school officials said.
The group was “chanting racist words, lighting what appeared to be road flares and displaying antisemitic symbols,” Chancellor Corey A. King said in a statement to students and staff members.
King said campus police received reports about the offensive display at around 5:40 p.m. When police arrived, the group had left the area, and no further sightings were reported.
Video posted on Facebook showed four people dressed in red and black bellowing, “We are everywhere. There will be blood, blood, blood,” and a comment about “white men.”
University officials said that it's believed those involved aren't related to the campus and that there's no safety threat.
"The actions of the individuals are consistent with a group that has been visiting other campuses, and has no affiliation with UW-Whitewater whatsoever. In an abundance of caution, we have increased police patrol on campus," King wrote.
The university condemned the incident as "abhorrent" and "against our core values."
“We reject hate in all its forms," King said. "I know this incident is disturbing and has impacted members of our university community.” He said counseling services are available to students and staff members. “Warhawks, look out for one another — especially individuals who may have felt especially targeted by this event."
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact university police.
A string of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents has been reported on college campuses since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, prompting the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights to open investigations.
Both the Anti-Defamation League, an advocacy group tracking anti-Jewish incidents, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations have reported rises in bias incidents against both communities since the war began.
Nearly three-quarters of Jewish college students in the U.S. experienced or witnessed antisemitism on their campuses since the start of the academic year, according to a survey the Anti-Defamation League released in November. Among them: A Cornell University student has been charged with making antisemitic threats in an online forum.
Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students have also described an increasingly hostile environment on campuses. In November, a Stanford University student was hospitalized after a hit-and-run incident in which the driver allegedly shouted “f--- you and your people” out a window.
