A 26-year-old black male student from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, was attacked by three people on campus Friday night, according to Portland police.
The assault came three days after campus protests in response to threatening messages aimed at black students that surfaced on the anonymous social media platform Yik Yak.
Police responded to a call on campus at 12:49 a.m. Saturday, according to a statement. The victim, who told police he did not wish to be identified, said that around 9 p.m. Friday he was approached by three white, college-age males who “used racial epithets before assaulting him.”
The student escaped and went to his dorm. He told police that he consulted with friends before deciding to go to the authorities. He did not require medical attention.
Authorities have not confirmed a connection between Friday’s incident and the Yik Yak threats.
The police statement noted, however, that detectives assigned to investigate crimes of bias are looking into the assault case.
On November 17, Yik Yak messages threatening black students' lives and calling for a return to slavery prompted 200 students to protest with a sit-in on campus, according to Oregon Live.
The Black Lives Matter chapter at Lewis and Clark has called upon the campus community to initiate a buddy system to ensure student safety in light of Friday's incident.
Yik Yak
Oregon State Bar President Richard Spier has issued a statement about the YikYak posts: "We stand by students, faculty, school officials and alumni who are steadfast in their resolve to create campus communities in Oregon that welcome, value and support a diverse student body," he said.
BuzzFeed News has reached out to Lewis and Clark College for more information.
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1kO30P0
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