Washington DC - Georgia Representative Mike Collins is facing heavy backlash after he applauded a viral video of a crowd of white college students harassing a single black student for protesting the Israel-Gaza war.

According to The Oxford Eagle, around 30 University of Mississippi students gathered on the college's campus on Thursday to protest the war and urge the school to divest from companies that are believed to be funding Israel.

A number of counter-protesters showed up in response and reportedly began shouting insults and throwing food and bottles at the protesters.

A video of the incident that has gone viral shows the crowd, made up of all white students, taunting a lone black female, believed to be a protester.

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One student is seen in the clip imitating a monkey and jumping up and down.

Collins shared the clip on X along with the caption, "Ole Miss taking care of business."

His apparent praise of the counter-protesters' behavior has been met with heavy criticism, as the comments of his post have been flooded with accusations of him supporting overt racism.

Collins' remarks come as pro-Palestine protests have been popping up on college campuses across the country, sparking concerns about the safety of Jewish students and a rise in antisemitic sentiments.

While college protests – and protecting students' ability to do so – have been happening in the US for some time, these recent protests have been met with vitriol and violence, resulting in massive arrests and clashes with law enforcement.

Republican politicians have publicly smeared protesters for being "pro-Hamas," as they believe that any criticism of Israel is inherently antisemitic. Some have even urged citizens to enact violence upon them in response.

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In November 2023, House members voted to censure Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress, for her anti-war rhetoric – which included accusing President Joe Biden of supporting Israel's alleged "genocide" of Palestinians.

Michael Steele, the former head of the Republican National Committee, criticized Collins' take, arguing that "this is not 'taking care of business.'"

"Your casual approval of racist behavior and the need you seemingly feel to brag about it is an abject failure of your leadership as a member of the United States Congress and not a proud moment for you," Steele stated.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves released a statement ahead of the protest at Ole Miss, noting that "unlawful behavior will not be tolerated" and "will be dealt with accordingly."

"Peaceful protests are allowed and protected – no matter how outrageous those protesters views may seem to some of us," Reeves added.