University of Mississippi campus police cracked down hard on any students who waved the state flag of Mississippi during Saturday’s game with the school’s rival Alabama.
Students who had their flags taken away by police — along with signs declaring “Let The Band Play Dixie” — said they were threatened with arrest if they did not give them up.
“[W]e were told that officers would use their right to arrest,” tweeted one of the flag wavers in response to a question as to why they gave up their property.
@anxietyreigns @OldRowOfficial we were told that officers would use their “right to arrest”
— Brendan Spellman (@spellboy987) September 18, 2016
Video captured the moment when police took away the flag and signs.
Ole Miss university police ordered to take “Let The Band Play Dixie” signs and the Mississippi state flag. pic.twitter.com/ch7RJzEcNH
— Old Row (@OldRowOfficial) September 18, 2016
Another video from Saturday’s game shows a giant Mississippi flag popping up right in the middle of the student section.
Ole Miss officials confirmed that police were ordered to confiscate flags and signs during the game, but said it was simply because banners are forbidden due to them blocking the view of other spectators.
The Mississippi flag is at the center of controversy in the state because it includes the Confederate battle flag in its top-left corner. Multiple state universities, including Ole Miss, have recently removed the flag from flying over campus grounds in order to not cause offense. The University of Southern Mississippi even removed protesters from its premises in June for carrying the state flag onto their campus. (RELATED: Protesters Kicked Off Campus For Flying Their Own State Flag)
Last month, Ole Miss announced it would no longer allow the playing of “Dixie” during athletic events, hence the signs, “Let The Band Play Dixie.” (RELATED: Ole Miss Abolishes Dixie At Football Games)
The recent prohibitions on southern culture are in keeping with the school trying to change its “Old South” reputation. The school banned sticks from coming into football games to stop attendees from waving the Confederate flag in 1997. In 2003, the school dropped its traditional mascot “Colonel Reb” because he was not politically correct enough for the 21st century. Six years later, the school removed the song “From Dixie With Love” from its band’s playlist because fans would shout “The South will rise again!” during its recital.