Disruptive trans-activists escorted out of Cabot Phillips event by police

A group of trans-activist students had to be escorted by campus police out a speech by former Campus Reform Editor in Chief and current Daily Wire editor Cabot Phillips on Friday night at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt).

Campus Reform has covered the turmoil leading up to the event at the public Pennsylvanian institution. The event was hosted by the University’s Turning Point USA chapter and funded by the Leadership Institute, the parent organization of Campus Reform.

[RELATED: Pitt student gov condemns upcoming conservative events for bringing ‘hate’ to campus]

Over 300 students and alumni reportedly protested the event outside of the venue in the Oakland neighborhood in Pittsburgh.

🚨 Trans activists were just removed from the @cabot_phillips event at the University of Pittsburgh for breaking event guidelines pic.twitter.com/RYqH4XyCMw

— LOGAN DUBIL 🇺🇸 (@thelogandubil) March 24, 2023

Various signs carried by protestors were sponsored by the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Signs included phrases such as “Fight for Socialism and LGBTQ Liberation.” Other signs read “Trans Rights Now,” “Unite and Fight for Liberation,” and “Trans Lives Matter.”

Student activists inside the venue disrupted the event when Phillips initially took the microphone, according to the student newspaper, The Pitt News.

Phillips attempted to engage the students, but they responded saying they were “not interested in conversation,” according to video footage.

Hi everyone — I’m covering the @cabot_phillips event for @ThePittNews. As the event starts, a a small group of protestors continue speaking as Phillips take the mic. pic.twitter.com/OkYSgE1IPo

— Rebecca Johnson (@rebeccapaigejo) March 24, 2023

“We could try this thing called dialogue,” Phillips retorted. “I think that could be a lot of fun. I think we could learn a lot.”

Video footage later shows the activists being removed from the event by Pitt Police.

The University issued a formal statement on March 10 saying, “while peaceful protest is allowed, it cannot interfere with University events or operations” and that the school would enforce “well-established procedures to properly handle these situations.”

Pitt Police just kicked out about 20 or so students from the event. pic.twitter.com/9CUmEhuJZk

— Rebecca Johnson (@rebeccapaigejo) March 24, 2023

Phillips’ speech, entitled “Everything the Media Won’t Tell You,” explained how favoritism of liberal views “is the most prevalent and dominant privilege on campus because that’s what’s going to make your life easier than anything else on a college campus.”

“Liberal privilege,” Phillips clarified, “means you can bring any speaker you want. You’re not going to have to have police, metal detectors because conservative students don’t form mobs on campus to try and shut down ideas they don’t like.” 

Phillips also highlighted how the Pitt student government funded trans-activist Dylan Mulvaney to host a Pride event on campus, but conservative groups would likely have been turned away.

[RELATED: REPORT: Percentage of universities restricting free speech rose this year]

Approximately 25 people attended the event on Friday, according to The Pitt News. Attendees of the event were interviewed by The Pitt News, acknowledging that it is difficult to stand up for conservative ideas for fear of retribution or discrimination.

Over 11,000 people have signed the petition for the University to cancel the Phillips event along with a Riley Gaines speech scheduled for March 27 and a debate between Michael Knowles and Dierdre McCloskey in April.

About 300 people are outside the Cathedral of Learning chanting “transphobes have got to go” ahead of an event with right-wing commentator Cabot Phillips set to start at 7 p.m. pic.twitter.com/KwKXDPdja3

— The Pitt News (@ThePittNews) March 24, 2023

Also in the March 10 statement, the University acknowledged that “these events are toxic and hurtful for many people in our University community” and that the university supports “those in our community who are negatively affected by these upcoming events, now and in the future” but it is not the administration’s role to decide “what is acceptable and what is not.”

“If the University cared about protecting marginalized voices,” Phillips noted, “they’d be [bringing] more conservative speakers, because it’s conservative students’ voices that are marginalized.”

Neither Phillips nor Pitt have responded to Campus Reform’s request for comment, but this article will be updated accordingly.

Follow Gabrielle M. Etzel on Twitter.