Video shows assault between protester, student on UK campus
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — A student is seen in a video being assaulted by a protester holding an “Are you rape bait?” sign on the University of Kentucky campus Monday afternoon.
A video posted by the Kentucky Kernel, the independent student newspaper on UK’s campus, on X shows a man wearing a red shirt punching a student in the face while holding the sign.
The five-second video shows the man and student, surrounded by hundreds of other students, first in a physical altercation which ends with the student being punched.
More protesters are seen holding signs saying “Dressing immodestly is sin!” and “God hates all workers of iniquity, Psalm 5:5” on one side of the road while students holding a pride flag are on the other. A UK police vehicle is seen between the groups.
ABC 36 reached out to UK for more details about the assault and what led up to the incident.
Jay Blanton, the university’s chief communications officer, sent us the following statement:
“The video is deeply troubling. Police have interviewed both the protestor and the student involved. An investigation into what happened is continuing and police have remained on site. No report or complaint has been filed at this point, but physical altercations like this are not acceptable. Violence of any kind is never an answer.”
Blanton added that any organization or individual who wants to come to UK’s campus in the free speech areas doesn’t have to register beforehand, like the people today.
The incident is still being investigated.
