University Of Missouri Distances Itself From Tweets Complaining About Paris Coverage

University of Missouri officials on Saturday distanced the college from social media posts complaining that media coverage of the Paris terrorist attacks was diverting attention from protests on campus.

Following Friday's attacks, which killed at least 129 people in the French capital, some Twitter users shared posts that sought to draw comparisons between the two events.

Many right-wing websites and blogs shared what they said were screenshots of some of the tweets.

But university officials said the tweets were made from individuals "outside the Mizzou community."

"Social media posts expressing dismay that the tragedy in Paris is diverting media attention from events at the University of Missouri are being made by individuals from outside the Mizzou community in an attempt to create conflict," university officials said in a statement Saturday.

"Our hearts go out to the citizens of Paris and all those affected by the tragic events of last night. While our community has faced difficulties over the past week, we express our sincere sympathy to those who have been affected by the events in Paris and remain committed to making Mizzou stronger and more inclusive," officials said.

University of Missouri System Leaders resigned earlier this week after protests by black students over their handling of alleged incidents of racism on campus.

The protests have also spread to other campuses around the country, with many students marching in solidarity with their Mizzou counterparts.

Writing on Twitter on Friday evening, Black Lives Matter movement leader Deray Mckesson said protesters were capable of caring about several issues simultaneously.