PITTSBURGH (KDKA Newsradio) — Penn State University officials canceled an event Monday night featuring the founder of the Proud Boys, a far-right, white nationalist group.
A student organization was hosting the event with Gavin McInnes and another speaker, but a clash between student demonstrators and a far-right street gang led to the decision to cancel.
Penn State released a statement saying the decision was made in the interest of campus safety after demonstrations turned violent.
“The climate in our nation has been polarized for quite some time,” it read, in part. “On campuses across the country, violence is proliferating and individuals are being intimidated and even harmed. This must stop.”
About 500 protesters are estimated to have been there.
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Earlier this month, Penn State officials had refused to call off the event, despite pressure to do so, on First Amendment grounds.
While officials said the views and speech of the speakers were abhorrent, the protest was unacceptable because it obstructed the exchange of ideas and was a form of censorship.
After the cancellation, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi said in a statement, in part:
As many of you know, a speaking event on the University Park campus was canceled tonight (Oct. 24) because campus police were concerned about escalating violence and public safety. The event was to feature Gavin McInnes and Alex Stein who are provocateurs known for their abhorrent views and rhetoric. From the start, Penn State’s administration firmly denounced the two speakers. However, they were invited to speak on campus by a registered student organization and as an institution of higher education, we support the fundamental constitutional right of free speech and free expression of all members of our community. It is precisely because of this unwavering commitment to free speech that provocative individuals target our campus to deliver speeches.
Bendapudi went on to say:
[Monday evening}, Stein and McInnes will celebrate a victory for being canceled, when in actuality, they contributed to the very violence that compromised their ability to speak. Tonight, counter-protestors also will celebrate a victory that they forced the University to cancel this event, when in actuality they have furthered the visibility of the very cause they oppose.
Tonight, the message too many people will walk away with is that one can manipulate people to generate free publicity, or that one can restrict speech by escalating protest to violence. These are not ideas that we can endorse as an institution of higher education. We cannot laud academic freedom; and then abandon the constitutional right to free expression which undergirds academic freedom. Over the coming weeks, let us reflect on the role we must all play in encouraging vigorous debate and also upholding the values we hold dear.