*Students at Berkeley High School in Berkeley, Calif. have walked out of class and taken to the streets today to protest racist messages that appeared on one of the school’s library computers.
The Berkeley High Black Student Union tweeted out a screenshot of the offensive messages, which read, “KKK Forever Public Lynching December 9th 2015” and “I hung a nig**r by his neck in my backyard,” among other racist taunts.
This happened at our school! When we will we as Black Students feel safe? pic.twitter.com/awoRyUX8hX
— Black Student Union (@BerkeleyBSU) November 5, 2015
Hundreds of students marched on Milvia Street chanting “black lives matter” and “raise a fist if you’re not gonna take this” as they walked to Berkeley City Hall.
@berkeleyside walkout at bhs. pasarow speaking now. pic.twitter.com/LeWdMZMRIA
— claire (@eggaroos) November 5, 2015
According to a letter sent out by Berkeley High School Principal Sam Pasarow, “the hateful and racist message” was discovered around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday and contained threatening language toward African-Americans.
“This is a hate crime and messages such as this one will not stand in our community,” Pasarow wrote in his letter, adding that both Berkeley High School and Berkeley police were actively investigating the incident.
The Black Student Union called the messages a “blatant act of terrorism.”
“The safety of Black students has been explicitly threatened, and we as the Black Student Union demand that this is addressed immediately by the Berkeley High administration and Berkeley Police Department,” the union said in a statement.
The statement went on to say that in the past, similar acts against black students have been ignored.
BERKELEY HIGHSCHOOL @berkeleyside pic.twitter.com/6EJMGMPp8V — DOOSKIWORLD❄️ (@tkeepittrill) November 5, 2015
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