Leftist protesters attempt to shut down UNC Law speaking event

On October 25, the UNC Chapel Hill Federalist Society hosted speaker Dr. Jeffery J. Ventrella of Alliance Defending Freedom for a talk on Constitutional law. He was shouted down, however, when protesters from an LGBT organization stormed the room and disrupted the event, according to a report by The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.

Campus Reform obtained exclusive photos of signs posted in the lead-up to the event.

One of the signs read, “Does UNC Hate Us? Or Just Not Care?”

Others stated “We Love Our Queer Class Mates,” “dehumanizing US, dehumanizes YOU,” and “Defending Freedom for Whom?”

The disruption occurred despite a statement released prior to the event by UNC Law School, which read, “The University respects the rights of speakers invited to campus to be heard and to complete their presentations, regardless of the content of their speech. The University also respects the right of individuals to protest and express their views.”

Protesters reportedly chanted “the Founders were enslavers,” and campus security were barred from entering the room to restore order to the event.

Campus Reform spoke with students from UNC, who requested to remain anonymous, about their thoughts regarding the events.

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“I share many of the values that the Alliance Defending Freedom have. The cancellation of those who represent those values leaves me with nowhere where I can feel safe to express them,” one student shared. “I feel as though these mobs have the explicit goal of taking my right to say the opinions …I want away from me so that only their opinions can proliferate. I don’t think they should be allowed to cancel our events just because they don’t like what they hear.”

Another said the he “kind of understand[s] why the protesters were there and why their emotions were high, but I just wish they did what they had to do in a more civil manner.”

“I think it would be nice if they attended the event and protested with respect to the code and then addressed their concerns with the speaker after. I think that way their message gets out there and nobody has to be silenced,” he continued.

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Others, however, believed that the protesters had the right to disrupt the event.

“I am sometimes ashamed of what the people I support do when confronted with adversity. Instead of addressing the mob and pacifying them, they choose to peal-clutch and run. Then to top it all off, they play the victim card and go cry for sympathy. Someone with a backbone of integrity would address the concerns of said mob and quell the masses. They may even start protests of their own,” another student explained.

Campus Reform reached out to all relevant institutions and individuals mentioned. This article will be updated accordingly.