UPDATE II: Campus police confirmed that no second noose was found on UCSD campus.
UPDATE: Multiple Twitter updates are reporting a second noose found on UCSD campus.
Following a night of unrest at UC Berkeley, fresh protests have swelled at UC San Diego after a week plagued by racially charged incidents.
Last night, a noose was found hanging on a light in the campus library, according to the UC Regents (Live)blog. A female student today admitted that she and two others were responsible for placing the noose there.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, students gathered today at Aldrich Hall on campus to protest and were addressed by an administrator:
"This is truly a dark day in the history of this university," Chancellor Marye Anne Fox told students gathered along Library Walk. "It's abhorrent and untenable."
On his Facebook page, UC System President Mark Yudof wrote that this most recent event was "a despicable act of racial hatred."
It has no place in civilized society and it will not be tolerated - not on this particular campus, not on any University of California campus. A full investigation is underway by both campus and law enforcement officials. We support it. Appalling acts of this sort cannot go unpunished.
This incident comes on the heels of another race-related campus controversy last week stemming from a party with a ghetto theme. News 10 reports:
Called the "Compton Cookout," attendees were urged to dress and act in a manner that school officials say perpetuated racist stereotypes. An invitation on Facebook urged female participants to dress as "ghetto chicks" and said chicken, watermelon and malt liquor would be served at the party.
On Wednesday, hundreds of students gathered on campus to protest the administration's tepid response to the Compton Cookout. Many walked out of a special teach-in organized by the administration in response to the incident to join the protest.
The Associated Press describes the scene:
Students from several universities took part in Wednesday's noisy but peaceful rally at the UC San Diego campus. Hundreds of students attending a campus-sponsored "teach-in" on tolerance walked out to join the protest.
Protesters, some wearing T-shirts that read "Real pain, Real action" demanded the school do more to fight racism and attract blacks, who comprise less than 2 percent of the population.