Students tear down anti-Hillary flyers because they 'don't agree'
When confronted, the students justified the vandalism by saying "I don't agree with it" and calling the messages both "offensive" and even deeming them to be actual "violence."
University of Florida students were caught on video Tuesday tearing down both pro-Donald Trump and anti-Hillary Clinton posters and throwing them away at the nearest trash cans.
On Election Day, University of Florida students were caught on video tearing down both pro-Donald Trump and anti-Hillary Clinton posters and throwing them away at the nearest trash cans.
The incidents took place November 8 at Turlington Plaza, which is a primary free speech area on UF’s campus. No authorization or approval is needed in this area for students to post literature, but those freedoms were not respected by several students who objected to the posters.
[RELATED: ‘Trump Wall’ triggers pro-Hillary students at Penn State]
Daniel Weldon, chairman of the school’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter, recorded the vandalism in a series of videos, which also show him confronting the students and demanding that they explain their actions.
After initially refusing to answer Weldon’s “terrible question,” one student eventually comes clean, admitting that she tore down the signs because “I don’t agree with it; it’s offensive.”
When another student is caught in the process of tossing one of the signs into a trash bin, she struggles to come up with an excuse for the behavior, and is eventually led away by a classmate who protests vehemently that “she has the right to tear down your signs.”
A third student was more upfront in taking responsibility, explaining that she tore down the signs because “this campus should not support violence, and that is violence.”
As the student attempts to explain the “difference between free speech and actually supporting violence,” a classmate interjects herself into the situation, attempting to cover the camera with her palm while declaring, “This is messed up.”
[RELATED: HS student accosted over Trump hat at EMU anti-racism rally]
“It is unfortunate how people so blatantly disrespect the rights of others during this election,” Weldon told Campus Reform, adding that “this election has exacerbated the growing problem of students putting down free speech on campus.”
Weldon claimed that the same pro-Trump and anti-Clinton posters have been targets of destruction all week, but said that no specific organization or group is known to have organized the stunt.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @CalebEcarma
