A fan attending the Nebraska-Wisconsin football game this weekend was escorted out of the stadium for wearing a Barack Obama mask with a noose around its neck as a Halloween costume.
It didn’t take long for someone to take a picture of the tasteless costume, and for the photo to make the rounds online. Sportswriter Julie DiCaro saw the picture and was understandably disgusted.
This is AWFUL. https://t.co/pvBopkRQr9
— Julie DiCaro (@JulieDiCaro) October 29, 2016
After getting wind of the costume, the University of Wisconsin-Madison police said although they don’t agree with it, it is within the fan’s right to wear what they choose.
@scoutymachugh @JulieDiCaro While we don’t support their message, this is a form of free speech.
— UW-Madison Police (@UWMadisonPolice) October 30, 2016
DiCaro wasn’t having it and challenged the police with her next Tweet, illustrating that the costume, despite it being Halloween, is vile and depicts overt racism.
Really. So if people went into the stadium naked & held up photos of porn, that would have been fine? Time, place & manner. https://t.co/NdUXDXKUNq
— Julie DiCaro (@JulieDiCaro) October 30, 2016
Whether the campus police agreed, or didn’t want any trouble, in a following Tweet to DCaro, said that the fan had been escorted from Camp Randall Stadium.
@JulieDiCaro While we don’t support the offensive image of a noose, it’s a form of free speech. Guest Svcs. asked them to remove & they did.
— UW-Madison Police (@UWMadisonPolice) October 30, 2016
It APPEARS the men were first asked to removed the Obama mask then asked to leave. This was their exit… pic.twitter.com/Xv1UxMOfaW
— 😏 (@woahohkatie) October 30, 2016
Yeah, so about that post racial society we live in.