A group of 150 to 200 students rallied Monday morning in front of the Union and marched to Chancellor Sean O’Keefe’s office, demanding he ban the Confederate flag on campus. The protesters also addressed what they say is the underfunding of minority and cultural departments and an uncertain direction for minority recruitment after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The protesters insisted O’Keefe ban the flag, and when O’Keefe said he would not, the students announced they will hold a larger protest Saturday outside Tiger Stadium before LSU’s game against The University of North Texas to draw more attention to the issue.
Monday’s protest was the second flag-related demonstration on campus in two days. A group of students marched from the African American Cultural Center to Tiger Stadium on Saturday in protest of tailgaters flying the purple and gold flag.
O’Keefe told the students while he thinks the flag is offensive, he “cannot and will not ban anything” because of the First Amendment right to free speech.
O’Keefe said he will continue to publicly condemn the flag and make clear the University does not support it.
Monday’s march began at the Union where Collins Phillips, general studies senior who led the protest, and other organizers encouraged students to remain peaceful during the protest.
Students were told to stay on sidewalks, remain silent and act as if they were walking to class.
The group moved without speaking and waved signs as it assembled near the bell tower.
Part of the group, led by Phillips, entered Thomas Boyd Hall, where LSUPD Chief Ricky Adams stopped them and said O’Keefe would come out to meet them.
Phillips returned to the crowd and told the group O’Keefe was in a meeting but encouraged students to wait.
The crowd began to chant “We want the chancellor” while waving their fists in the air.
Phillips quieted the crowd, and O’Keefe addressed the crowd soon after.
Phillips read the group’s three issues to the chancellor.
O’Keefe said he wanted to start constructive dialogue on the issues, but Phillips said students were tired of sitting in meetings and the issue was straight and simple – the flag should be banned.
Cheers erupted from the crowd in agreement.
“Free speech is something we all have a right to,” O’Keefe said.
Phillips then encouraged the group to move its attention to minority program funding and minority recruitment.
Phillips said the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the AACC and their programs were underfunded.
O’Keefe told the group he would look into the funding of minority programs at an upcoming budget meeting.
Phillips asked what steps were being taken regarding minority recruitment, especially in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
O’Keefe said the hurricanes affected all recruitment – not just that of minorities – because people are leaving Louisiana. He said the University is addressing recruiting issues on many levels.
O’Keefe said minority recruitment will be a top priority as the University tries to recruit students in the wake of the hurricanes.
Phillips then said he hopes O’Keefe will be able to provide “proof” that steps are being taken concerning the issues at an NAACP meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday at the AACC.
Students asked again about the Confederate flag, and O’Keefe responded that the University will not ban the flag but would work to educate the public about the flag.
The crowd then began to chant, “ban that flag.”
Some members called for head football Coach Les Miles and Athletics Director Skip Bertman to also speak out publicly against the flag.
The chancellor said he alone is responsible for this issue and that he will be the one to speak publicly.
One student also asked what the University was doing about the vandalism to the Alpha Phi Alpha house.
Some Alpha Phi Alpha members said they believe the spray painting that occurred on the back of their house Thursday night was race related. Alpha Phi Alpha is the only black fraternity with a house on campus.
O’Keefe said LSUPD is conducting an investigation, but he did not know the investigation’s status at the time of the protest.
Adams said LSUPD is taking the vandalism “very seriously” and that an investigator had been assigned to the case.
Before leaving the protest, O’Keefe told the group they had been “incredibly responsible” and that the best way to approach the issue is through discussion.
Some students shouted at the chancellor as he left, and one student yelled at the chancellor asking if it would take an act of violence to change the policy.
Adams said the LSUPD learned of the protest at 9 a.m. Monday and that there were never any concerns about safety.
Michelle Gieg, Student Government president, said she supports the dialogue the protesters are creating on campus, especially the questions raised about minority recruitment and the underfunding of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and AACC programs.
But she said she does not support a ban of the flag.
Dalton Patterson, math senior who attended the protest, said he is going to closely watch what steps are taken next to resolve this issue.
“For the fans that still want to have the flag, I want to do my best to educate and pray for them,” Patterson said.
Contact Ginger Gibson at [email protected]