Woke protesters were accused of destroying a Bible while shouting at a Conservative speaker at the University of Albany on Tuesday.
Conservative speaker Ian Haworth was shown a photo of a crumpled Bible that he said had been destroyed by protesters “for no reason” as they shouted down his free speech comments on college campuses.
He was invited to speak at the public university by the chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), an organization dedicated to promoting conservative politics founded by right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
But as he began his presentation, Haworth said a mob of students “stormed” the room and started shouting swear words at him, calling him a fascist member of the KKK, and even forming a conga line and dance circle to prevent that he spoke. He noted that the protesters helped themselves to the event’s pizza.
Haworth was eventually able to continue his speech after law enforcement and teachers helped remove the disruptive students. In their “official response” to the incident, the Young Democrat Socialists of America group that organized the protest said their removal was “a clear suppression of free speech.”
A protester shouted at the conservative free speech event at the University at Albany
Speaker Ian Haworth posted this photo of a bible destroyed during the protests
Haworth took to Twitter to share photos and videos from the event, which showed a large group of people clearly preventing him from speaking by shouting and dancing, a tactic he called “the heckler’s veto.”
He wrote that his planned discussion was about how he felt “free speech is being destroyed on college campuses.”
“Like clockwork, some deranged protesters showed up and used the heckler’s veto to try and shut down the event,” he wrote.
He posted videos of protesters shouting things like “F**k TPUSA,” “Trans rights are human rights,” “F**k Ian,” “F**k you, fascists,” and “No cops, no KKK.” , no TPUSA.’ Haworth noted that he was Jewish.
At one point you saw a woman screaming, “This is what freedom of speech looks like.”
In a video of the protesters dancing in a conga line, Haworth wrote, “Nobody seemed concerned that this is a traditional Cuban carnival dance and therefore an act of cultural appropriation.”
Haworth published a piece in the Washington Examiner reflecting on the event, writing, “It is spectacularly ironic that these students aggressively sought to prevent free speech at an event dedicated to the importance of free speech on college campuses.”
“Yes, the event was allowed to continue after several hours, but only after the protesters were led away by the police. The fact remains, as these activists demonstrated, that college campuses are no longer a place for ideas to flourish. That’s where ideas die.’
Protesters dance at the event to prevent Ian Haworth from speaking about freedom of speech
Students turned the speech into a dance circle to prevent Haworth from speaking
The University at Albany said it supports students protesting in “a way that promotes constructive dialogue” and supports freedom of speech principles
In their official response, the protesters accused Haworth of being a “notorious transphobic alt-right figure” and that his presence posed a “clear danger and significant threat to the university’s many queer students.”
The group said that “students attended the event as a peaceful demonstration of queer solidarity and joy,” and were denied their right to free speech when authorities later removed them so the event could go ahead.
They insisted that was “ironic given that TPUSA and their guest Ian Haworth claim to uphold these rights.”
After citing a number of rules in the student handbook that they claimed were violated in removing dancing and screaming students from a college, the group demanded that the university take some gender-affirming measures. They also asked that any photos or videos of them during the protest be removed from the internet.
In a statement to Fox newssaid the University at Albany, “Consistent with the mission of an institution of higher education, we expect members of our community to express their views in a manner that promotes constructive dialogue and honors UAlbany’s commitment to freedom of expression.”
“This is especially important when it comes to speech that members of our community find offensive or objectionable.”
Our constitutional obligation to protect expression, even when it fundamentally conflicts with our core values, is a pillar of our democratic system. We are equally committed to fostering an environment where all students feel safe and involved – and that the right to protest is also protected.’