Updated 4:50 p.m.
University Police Department Chief Ray Hawkins said there was one person arrested on campus “who failed to comply with directions” from the police. Hawkins said no one associated with the protest was injured.
Updated 3:36 p.m. Saturday
After protesting for exactly one hour as allotted by the university, pro-Confederate activists end their rally and march off campus. Both groups protested without using any violence.
Updated 3:00 p.m. Saturday
While pro-Confederate protesters chant “save our history,” the counterproters chant to take the Confederate monuments in the Square and the Circle down.
Updated: 2:36 p.m. Saturday
The Neo-Confederate activists walked through a metal detector to get to the Confederate monument to start their rally. In order to get to the area where the protests and the counterprotests were occurring, everyone had to go through a metal detector.
Updated: 2:15 p.m. Saturday
Counterprotesters met the group of neo-Confederate activists on the Square as they began marching down Lamar Blvd. toward the Ole Miss campus around 1:30 p.m Saturday. The pro-Confederate demonstration has grown to include around 50 protesters and is now on its way to the Circle in the middle of the campus. University police confirmed earlier today that once the first member of the pro-Confederate protest arrives on campus, the group will be allotted an hour of protest time.
Photo by Katheryn Abernathy
Anti-Confederate countrerprotesters also began gathering on the Ole Miss campus near the edge of the Grove on University Avenue around 1:45 p.m. A large group of university police are stationed around the Circle and protest area.
Updated: 1:15 p.m. Saturday
Protesters and counter protesters have gathered on The Square and have started chanting. pic.twitter.com/iNkWYQPFvW
— The Daily Mississippian (@thedm_news) February 23, 2019
A group of around 30 pro-Confederate protesters have gathered on the steps of the Oxford-Lafayette Courthouse on the Square. They plan to march along Lamar Blvd. from the Confederate monument on the Square to University Avenue, and eventually to the Circle on campus. The protesters are waving Confederate flags, chanting the lyrics to “Dixie” and holding dogs on leashes. A group of around 10 counterprotesters is also present on the Square, chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, racism has got to go.”
Pro-Confederate protesters gather on the steps of the courthouse on the Square. Photo Daniel Payne
Heavy police presence and several spectators gathering as the two pro-confederate groups begin to arrive in front of the courthouse. @NewsWatch_UM @thedm_news
#StatueRally pic.twitter.com/7mLdUZ5Zen— Matthew Hendley (@matthendley) February 23, 2019
This developing story will be updated throughout the day.
Update: 1:00 p.m. Saturday
Campus and city police have prepared security measures ahead a pro-Confederate rally set for this afternoon. Members from two out-of-state pro-Confederate groups plan to walk from the Oxford town Square to the Circle on the Ole Miss campus today, and student groups have indicated intent to oppose these groups in counterprotest.
The area around University Ave. leading to the Circle, where pro-Confederate groups will march on campus, is thoroughly barricaded. #StatueRally pic.twitter.com/chwHb6Hc9n
— Brittany Brown (@isthatbritt) February 23, 2019
University police have shut down a campus section of University Avenue near Coulter Hall to vehicular traffic. Cars will not be able to enter campus from the University Avenue entrance at the intersection of University Avenue and Grove Loop along the planned route for the pro-Confederate protest.
Police also have an increased presence on the Square where the rally is set to begin.
S.W.A.T. members stand in a city parking lot behind Neilson’s Department Store on the Square in preparation for today’s pro-Confederate rally. Photo by Daniel Payne
Check out our full coverage of the weekend protests here.
