Racially charged tagging on UC San Diego school grounds referencing GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump is sparking anger among students and faculty.
The scrawled messages have prompted an outpouring of students to call for the university to implement further non-discrimination standards on campus. Monday afternoon, nearly 1,400 people had signed an online petition and Tuesdays, dozens turned out for a rally.
The tagging first emerged the week of April 11 and is among “a series of incidents occurring on college and university campuses across the United States have reflected our nation's current divisive political climate,” a statement from the school read.
Photos have been posted on social media, showing the graffiti on sidewalks and school signs, including the university’s Raza Resource Centro, a resource center for Latino students.
The messages say "Build the wall" and "Deport them all," among other words.
Much of graffiti references undocumented immigrants, calling for deportation, while touting Trump’s campaign.
The university issued a statement on April 11, saying: “This graffiti runs counter to our campus values of equity and inclusion. We value diversity and respect for all cultures.”
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University officials stopped short of saying whether they were investigating the vandalism.
Mica Pollock, director of the Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment and Teaching Excellence, issued a statement that he was angered by the graffiti.
“We are deeply angered by the actions of the unknown individuals who defaced our common property this weekend with messages that devalued Latino and immigrant members of the San Diego and UC San Diego community,” he stated.
