Conservative writer Ben Shapiro's planned lecture at California State University-Los Angeles was canceled on Monday, but the Young America's Foundation, who sponsored the event, insisting it was going to go on as planned. On Thursday, CSULA reversed the decision and permitted Shapiro to speak. Unfortunately, liberal activists at the school weren't so willing to play nice, and repeatedly disrupted the lecture by blocking entrances and exits, and by pulling the fire alarm.
If you missed my appearance at CSULA, here's the archived speech: https://t.co/CiWTdJwCKH
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 26, 2016
A statement from YAF decried the protesters' tactics:
Today, leftists at CSULA led a violent effort to censor Ben Shapiro, the only conservative speaker that has visited their campus in recent memory. This is a profound and sobering moment for our country. We are tragically witnessing the end result of decades of unchallenged liberal coddling of students on campuses across the country. This is the tipping point.
American college campuses have spiraled so out of control that the president of a public university canceled his own students' approved event- violating their First Amendment rights- and a mob of protestors, led by his professors, violently blocked the entrance to Ben Shapiro's speech sponsored by CSULA's Young Americans for Freedom chapter and Young America's Foundation's Fred R. Allen Lecture Series. This mob pushed, shoved, and verbally assaulted police and conservative students who were simply attempting to attend a speech by a prominent author.
We are enormously proud of our Young Americans for Freedom students who stood strong, refused to allow their event to be canceled, and risked their safety to attend Ben Shapiro's lecture today.
President Covino, his entire administration, and administrators on campuses everywhere need to be held accountable. Young America's Foundation will pursue all legal options to do so.
Some clips of what went down:
Those who preach tolerance are blocking the doors to this auditorium because a conservative is speaking. #CSULA
— Andres Taborda (@AndresTaborda_) 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
We are in a literal #safespace right now. Protesters are blocking all entrances. #yafoncampus
— Amy Lutz (@amylutz4) February 25, 2016
Protesters trashed the student union & left trash everywhere. #yafoncampus pic.twitter.com/RtOoKeIVjZ
— Amy Lutz (@amylutz4) February 26, 2016
Alert. Conservative speaker @benshapiro now speaking--in the dark. Mob blocked entering students.Pulled fire alarm. https://t.co/Ry2ak4nU1q
— Christina H. Sommers (@CHSommers) February 25, 2016
These students are HEROES. Our @Y_A_Freedom chapter who brought @benshapiro to campus. @yaf pic.twitter.com/phGmpnvrxo
— Amy Lutz (@amylutz4) February 26, 2016
CSULA students are now reportedly staging a sit-in at the president's office for permitting the lecture to happen:
I even saw them bring pizza to their sit-in. Whining makes people hungry I suppose. https://t.co/t7rEo7XghE
— Amy Lutz (@amylutz4) February 26, 2016