Black student had ‘rock thrown at him’ and solidarity statues ‘vandalized’ at UNH

‘This crime strikes at the very fabric of our community’


The racism scandal at the University of New Hampshire continues today as a police report emerged of someone hurling a rock at a black student.

This Saturday, a student of color was riding his bicycle near Congreve Hall when a rock was thrown at him, according to a UNH report.

Cops said the crime “strikes at the very fabric of our community,” and they are now appealing for any information.

Racism at the University of New Hampshire

Congreve Hall at the University of New Hampshire

UNH did not provide any more information, and did not comment on the investigation.

It comes on the same day plaster fist statues, which appeared on the weekend on campus, have been vandalized.

The eight fists were anonymously planted in front of UNH’s main lawn, in a gesture of solidarity. Several have now been uprooted, torn down, and at least one is missing.

Racism at the University of New Hampshire

Photo by Danique Montique

“It is vandalism,” sophomore Danique Montique told The Tab. “They were ripped out of the ground. How do you accidentally rip something buried in the ground?”

She pointed out holes in the ground where the fists used to be, chunks of statue littered about, and chips in the remaining statues.

Vandalism at the University of New Hampshire

Photo by Danique Montique

Vandalism at the University of New Hampshire

Photo by Danique Montique

A university spokesperson denied vandalism took place, and claimed any damage was due to graduating students posing for commemorative pictures.

They said:

“The spot on campus where these statues were located, in front of a large stone sign on the front lawn of the campus, had hundreds of students in their caps and gowns getting photographs taken as it does every year. We do not believe this was vandalism but rather accidental. Students who were there apologized and helped to restore the statues.”

A senior named Phin (who requested we not mention their second name for fear of being targeted online) recounted how they saw damage being deliberately done to the statues.

“I was walking to see the sculptures and saw people taking graduation photos. It had been completely dissembled, parts were missing and two were broken. I was putting them back up – students said they didn’t want to pose with them in their photos, and they started yelling at me. I told them not wanting a photo taken with the fists was an act of racism, and they looked at me like I had three heads.

“I didn’t know what to do because I was the only one there. This one kid in the graduating class of 2017 admitted to taking two or three of the statues, hiding them, and bringing one back.

“He got very mad at me for telling him to stop. I’m not cisgender, and he was misgendering me – he called me a ‘wackjob’ and an ‘ass’. I asked him to stop misgendering me and he said: ‘You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.’

“If people don’t want the sculpture in their pictures, it’s to do with racism. I can’t see anything wrong taking a picture with something commemorating minority groups, student solidarity and looking forward to a better future on campus. I’m graduating this year and will be taking that picture.”

unh racism

A montage of the incidents that sparked a scandal about racism at UNH

This marks the beginning of week two in an ongoing meltdown at UNH over a wave of racist incidents. White students have posed in blackface and imitated slaves, swastikas have been found painted on a residence hall and the word “nigger” appeared outside a black teacher’s dorm.

It all began when sophomore Danique Montique filmed a white student wearing a poncho on Cinco de Mayo.

Students continue to criticize the university’s lack of action over these events, which came in the middle of finals week.

More to follow.