Eastern Michigan’s football team is 3-1 for the first time in 21 years after a 27-24 win over Wyoming on Friday night, but the peaceful on-field protest that followed the game is much more significant.
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Eastern Michigan president James Smith released a statement earlier in the week about the incident, which he said would be investigated.
Eastern Michigan students organized on-campus protests, which were marred by a vehicle plowing into protesters later that day.
The Detroit Free Press reported that on Wednesday another racial slur was found graffitied on a different part of the campus.
Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton said the protesters didn’t seem “aggressive” but were just “inching closer” near the end of the game.
Last night, student activists, reportedly affiliated with Black Lives Matter, chanted periodically throughout all four quarters, taking to the field after Wyoming’s defeat and chanting, “No Justice, No Peace”. “This is the ideal opportunity to do that”, EMU senior Demajae Muray said, per mlive.com, of the effort at the football game. According to the mlive.com report, students were handed notices as they arrived at the game that stressed “on-field access is not permitted” and that disrupting game operations was a violation of the law and the EMU Student Code of Conduct and could result in incarceration.
Following the game, students walked hand in hand on the field.
The university played the national anthem earlier than usual and the football team wasn’t on the field for the anthem because EMU officials were concerned about safety.
And for what its worth, respect to CBS Sports Network who was televising the game.
School president Smith told CBS Sports that the protests would be allowed, explaining that the students had a “legitimate concern” after the graffiti was found.
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One student protester said they were demonstrating to raise awareness to the issue and to call out on administrators for a stronger response to the incident.
