In a vote passed 33-15 with one abstention, the University of Mississippi student senate voted for the removal of the state flag from university presmises on the grounds that it contains the Confederate battle flag.
"It's just overwhelming to know that the voices of students that are affected by this image, that feel excluded by this image, that are hurt by the symbol, that their voices were heard. It means that we truly are taking steps toward progress, that we care about change, that we care about students and that we respect difference," said student senator Allen Coon, co-author of the resolution, according to USA Today.
The resolution will now be placed in front of university officials for approval.
"Do not celebrate this decision simply because it is 'making history.' But celebrate because this is a step in a direction that will fundamentally change the way we interact with one another, interacting under a unified banner that shows this world the true colors and best values Mississippi had to offer," read a statement by the student body executive officers after the vote, reports the Washington Post.
A statement by the ASB executive officers regarding the Senate decision on the state flag this evening (in favor 33-15-1).
Posted by Ole Miss ASB on Tuesday, 20 October 2015
But not everyone agreed with the motion and many supporters of the flag urged the students to protect it.
"To live in a free society, the possibility to be offended will occasionally occur. Removing symbols, flags, and monuments will do nothing to change the way people feel in their hearts. ... Ole Miss Students and my fellow Mississippians, rise up and push back on political correctness and support the state flag," wrote student senator Andrew Soper in an online petition, according to CNN.
