By Jason Patterson | United States

The left winged activists at Hofstra University are protesting for the removal of a statue of Thomas Jefferson from campus.

Hofstra student Ja’Loni Owens, a Black Lives Matter advocate, started a change.org petition that warns the statue will bring “slavery, rape, eugenics, [and] anti-black racism” to discussion. She claims founding father’s statue belongs in a museum with proper context, “not displayed on a college campus, especially not in front of a hub of student life.”

Owens specifically addressed “white allies” in their Facebook event for the Friday protest called Jefferson Has Gotta Go. It will be held at the statue in front of the student center. She wrote:

“Please understand that this is a protest against white supremacy and that you as white people – even though you’re allies – benefit from white supremacy!” Owens then went on to say “Your obligation is to fight that! Come prepared to step up if racial slurs or otherwise offensive things are said to organizers of color or POC attending. If you’re able, come prepared to hold posters and like….PROTEST.”

The university decided to approve the protest, but Owens wrote that “if Hofstra was supportive and embraced anti-racist work, we would not be protesting.”

The protest is co-sponsored by a number of campus organizations: Campus Feminist Collective, Collegiate Women of Color, Democrats of Hofstra University, Hofstra History Club, Hofstra NAACP Chapter, Peace Action Matters, Queer & Trans People of Color Coalition, Student Advocates of Safer Sex, The Gender Identity Federation, The Pride Network of Hofstra University, and Young Democratic Socialists of Hofstra.

“It’s important to note not all activists on campus support the protest. Not to bring problems, but I’d like to point out that as you are making the protest about your right to freedom of speech, don’t forget that people like Jefferson gave you that right,” Hofstra student Conor Dawson wrote, as reported by CampusReform.org.

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