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The University of Mississippi’s campus police department is investigating an incident of vandalism.

An older version of the Georgia state flag and a noose were placed around the neck of James Meredith, the first black student to attend the University of Mississippi.

From The Daily Mississippian:

Mark McMillan, owner of an insulation company contracted out by the university to work on the library’s cooling tower, saw the two individuals who police believe are responsible for the incident, and he was the first person to see the vandalism.

“I came up on a couple younger-looking boys by the loading dock that were yelling ‘white power’ and ‘f— n—–s’ on my way back over towards the statue,” he said. “When I rounded the corner of (the George Street House), I noticed the rope and the flag, and it definitely showed the Confederate flag.” McMillan said the rope was tied around the statue’s neck like a noose, and the flag was draped over the shoulders and back of the statue like a scarf.

Read most at The Daily Mississippian

Meredith integrated the university in 1962. In 2006, a statue of Meredith was dedicated and became part of a larger civil rights monument on campus. Police are investigating information provided by one witness.

$25,000 reward has been offered by the university’s alumni association for any information leading to arrests.

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