Earlier this week, the president of California State University Los Angeles canceled a scheduled lecture by conservative columnist and commentator Ben Shapiro. His reasoning? Diversity and free speech, natch:
In an email to the chairman of CSULA YAF, university president William Covino wrote, “After careful consideration, I have decided that it will be best for our campus community if we reschedule Ben Shapiro’s appearance for a later date, so that we can arrange for him to appear as part of a group of speakers with differing viewpoints on diversity.”
Covino continued, “Such an event will better represent our university’s dedication to the free exchange of ideas and the value of considering multiple viewpoints.”
Contrary to Covino’s newfound love for the “free exchange of ideas” and the consideration of “multiple viewpoints,” his university has hosted a wide variety of radical liberal speakers without ever bothering to ensure the conservative worldview was represented.
Despite Covino’s sniveling asshattery, the university and Young America’s Foundation went ahead with the event:
BREAKING on @FoxBusiness: CSULA allows author @benshapiro to speak h/t @Ajshaps for the coverage + reporting today! pic.twitter.com/c66V252YIV
— Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) February 25, 2016
Things are heating up in LA and on the TL for this @benshapiro speech… Wish I could be there. #FreeSpeech #factsdontcare
— Nick (@_nickthebrick1) February 25, 2016
“Heating up” is putting it mildly. Those who were there were treated to a sickening display of leftist “tolerance”:
"Our school" … & "the students united will never be divided" are latest chants @yaf pic.twitter.com/4cNbbMWtjg
— The College Fix (@CollegeFix) February 25, 2016
Recommended
BREAKING: Rising tensions at #csula when @benshapiro gets invited to speak. @ChrisMWolfe reports on @KTLA at 3. pic.twitter.com/mNw8NbZQN7
— Val Gratias (@valeriegratias) February 25, 2016
.@yaf liberal protesters not allowing people into auditorium to hear conservative Ben #shapiro
— Adam Shapiro (@Ajshaps) February 25, 2016
.@yaf protesters form human chain to prevent Ben #shapiro speak at #CalStateLA
— Adam Shapiro (@Ajshaps) February 25, 2016
.@yaf liberal protestors use physical force and shout racist anti semitic threats to intimidate students from hearing Ben #shapiro
— Adam Shapiro (@Ajshaps) February 25, 2016
.@yaf Liberal protesters shouting racist threats at people who attend Ben #shapiro event
— Adam Shapiro (@Ajshaps) February 25, 2016
They're yelling "racist go home"
— The College Fix (@CollegeFix) February 25, 2016
Now they're yelling "this is what diversity looks like"
— The College Fix (@CollegeFix) February 25, 2016
.@yaf Ben #shapiro says police escorting students three at a time into auditorium liberal protestors using physical force to prevent
— Adam Shapiro (@Ajshaps) February 25, 2016
Students blocking entrance into CSULA theater where Shapiro set to talk. Refusing to let people into venue. @yaf
— The College Fix (@CollegeFix) February 25, 2016
https://twitter.com/amylutz4/status/702983111529738240
.@yaf CSULA professor called conservative students white supremacist unaware YAF CSULA student founder is Asian American
— Adam Shapiro (@Ajshaps) February 25, 2016
Major pushing and shoving just erupted near theater door. Stopped after 10 seconds. But tension is high.
— The College Fix (@CollegeFix) February 25, 2016
It seems like anytime someone tries to enter theater, students raise their hands, form a wall and chant "no violence"@yaf #csula
— The College Fix (@CollegeFix) February 25, 2016
Gotta love the Left.
https://twitter.com/Cameron_Gray/status/702982705642733568
https://twitter.com/itsjael_10/status/702977240053608449
In apparent attempt to shut down conservative activist @benshapiro’s CSU-LA speech, someone has pulled fire alarm pic.twitter.com/smttiq9fYB
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) February 25, 2016
https://twitter.com/StarChamberMaid/status/702981909413031938
Kids pull the fire alarm on @benshapiro. He continues to give his speech over it.
????https://t.co/gTtigJL4Ps— Benny (@bennyjohnson) February 25, 2016
Fire alarm just pulled! Sirens and flashing lights going off. Some people dispersing. Many staying. @yaf #csula
— The College Fix (@CollegeFix) February 25, 2016
Alert. Conservative speaker @benshapiro now speaking–in the dark. Mob blocked entering students.Pulled fire alarm. https://t.co/Ry2ak4nU1q
— Christina Sommers ? (@CHSommers) February 25, 2016
#BREAKING hundreds of protesters at #CSULA outside @benshapiro speech. @ktla Chris Wolfe says situation intense pic.twitter.com/hD3VITt1Xp
— Tara Finestone (@tarawallis) February 25, 2016
What the hell.
https://twitter.com/bmcsmith92/status/702982984199118849
The fascist Left https://t.co/Q677snntXP
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2016
It'd be nice if Dem officials condemned "liberal" protesters once in a while for being pretty damned illiberal. https://t.co/LonS5T6osZ
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) February 25, 2016
If you know your ideas are inferior, your only hope is to prevent others from hearing superior competing ideas. https://t.co/ICXc0MiEOD
— It's Only Words (@itsonlywords) February 25, 2016
A repugnant spectacle. The howling, anti-intellectual #EndOfDiscussion mob vs. American values. https://t.co/thx8Cd0k7Y
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2016
Shapiro, however, wasn’t deterred:
.@yaf Shapiro speaking despite liberal protesters who are using physical force and racist slurs to intimidate those who wish to enter
— Adam Shapiro (@Ajshaps) February 25, 2016
.@yaf liberal protester pulls fire alarm during Ben #shapiro speech Ben says "you are not going to stop us."
— Adam Shapiro (@Ajshaps) February 25, 2016
https://twitter.com/StarChamberMaid/status/702982122336874496
We’ll leave you with these words from Shapiro:
“So here’s my message to these bloviating jackasses outside: Toughen up, you spoiled-brat snowflakes, if you actually want a better world.”
Bravo!
"Toughen up you spoiled brat snowflakes if you want a better world." – @benshapiro at CSU-LA hosted by @YAF Bravo Ben!
— Allen ??? (@arlasko) February 25, 2016
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional text.
***
Update:
Police tell @benshapiro he could be physically assaulted if confronts protesters, say they will have to escort him out through secret route.
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) February 25, 2016
Those protesting @benshapiro CSU-LA event have blocked all entrances/exits to the auditorium leaving attendees “imprisoned” inside.
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) February 25, 2016
“We are legitimately stuck in this room right now.” https://t.co/lutoKaAy11
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) February 25, 2016
‘@BenShapiro says police told him that their hope is that the protesters will disperse after they escort him out of secret exit.
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) February 25, 2016
“We are stuck inside…we are prisoners in this room right now,” event organizer says on Periscope. https://t.co/lutoKaAy11
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) February 25, 2016
Attendees now being let out of one door, but protesters still barricading others, per live-stream.
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) February 25, 2016
***
Update:
We are safely out. The police informed us they could not guarantee our safety or that of the student attendees if we went into the crowd.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 25, 2016
Students were smuggled in four at a time through the back door; leftists blocked all the entrances. Police were told not to move them.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 25, 2016
We had to be escorted by a full police cordon as well as a motorcade thanks to safety concerns.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 25, 2016
This is America's future: feckless leftist bureaucrats enabling radical leftist mobs to destroy Constitutional rights. #FightForLiberty
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 25, 2016
Please spread this message. pic.twitter.com/Ikb0aDFBb9
— YAF (@yaf) February 25, 2016
Note to campus leftists: Fuck you and fuck your fascism. #FightForLiberty
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 25, 2016
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