Group displays swastika, chants racism outside of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater dorm

A group of people, not affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, displayed a swastika and chanted racist words outside of a campus dorm Sunday night, chancellor Corey King said.

Part of the incident was captured on video and posted to Facebook. The group of four can be heard chanting "there will be blood" at one point.

King released a statement on Monday, the first day of spring semester classes for Whitewater students and staff. He said the incident took place Sunday at about 5:40 p.m. outside of Knilans residence hall.

King said the group lit road flares in addition to displaying antisemitic symbols. Police responded to the scene, but the group had departed before officers arrived, which was confirmed by video surveillance, according to King.

"We have no reason to believe there is any current threat to safety on campus," King said. "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 called the actions of the group "abhorrent" and said it goes against the core values of the university. "At UW-Whitewater, we strive to create a safe community where everyone feels a sense of belonging," he said. "We reject hate in all its forms."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact UW-Whitewater Police at 262-472-4660.

Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students across the U.S. have described an increasingly hostile environment on campuses since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights opened investigations in November into alleged antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents at a half-dozen U.S. colleges and universities.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Swastika displayed on University of Wisconsin-Whitewater dorm