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OPINION: Our campus has become a free speech battleground
Progressive student groups claimed their free speech was violated Wednesday at the University of Washington after a protester was arrested for trying to drown out my Turning Point USA chapter’s event with Nick Freitas.
Protesters chanted “Trans rights are human rights” and “TPUSA go away” as one student banged loudly on a drum. In passing, another protester compared conservatism to a contagion and said we needed to be inoculated.
“In a time where opinions are loud and empathy is scarce, the real challenge isn’t choosing a side – it’s choosing to be understood,” Marco Saavedra, a conservative student who attended the event, told me. “Progress begins when we’re willing to listen as deeply as we speak.”
However, listening was nearly impossible for the attendees because approximately 25 protesters from left-wing student organizations were chanting and beating drums while our event was taking place.
My TPUSA chapter hosted the “Prove Me Wrong” event where Freitas, a former Green Beret and Republican lawmaker turned political commentator, answered questions from the crowd on a number of issues.
The Daily, UW’s student newspaper, reported there were about 200 attendees while Rachel Anderson, TPUSA college field representative, estimated that there were 500.
Tabling adjacent to us was the newly established Young Americans for Liberty chapter. Both groups were doing our best to promote free speech.
A small group of protesters made the event difficult for the rest of us.
One student protester who appeared to be affiliated with Institutional Climate Action was arrested after he kept banging loudly on a drum, attempting to drown out Freitas.
An unnamed UW spokesperson told FOX 13 Seattle that police arrested the drummer after he ignored multiple warnings to stop.
Initially, police officers seemed unwilling to arrest the drummer until some of my fellow TPUSA leaders presented them with the university freedom of expression code, which prohibits “[d]isrupting or obstructing, through words or conduct, the teaching or learning environment of any university educational setting, or any university functions or activities.”
Afterward, progressive student groups claimed the arrest amounted to a free speech violation.
The university chapters of Students for a Democratic Society and Institutional Climate Action organized a rally in protest Thursday, as well as a petition urging administrators to “Stop targeting free speech.”
“The student has been released, but our action continues!!!!” the climate group wrote on Instagram. “… Bring drums and noise makers!! Voice your support for the right to protest on our campus, and demand our University do better!”
Additionally, the progressive groups made several demands: “release a formal apology to the arrested student, drop the investigation and charges, reaffirm commitment to free speech and [the] right to protest and investigate the arresting officer.”
“In addition, UW’s decision to engage in repression against peaceful protests while uplifting Turning Point USA and Ari Hoffman, who are known to parrot and spread violent hate speech, is direct contradiction of the UW civil rights code …” the groups wrote on Instagram.
To the best of my knowledge, Ari Hoffman, a conservative Jewish radio host in Seattle, did not attend our event Wednesday. Also to note, the protesters were flying the pro-Palestinian flag.
Interestingly, the progressive groups’ support for free speech did not extend to conservative groups.
Prior to the event, the Students for a Democratic Society called on students to “shutdown” and “yell [Turning Point USA] off our campus” in an Instagram post.
A “pre-game” protester named Kevin, who claimed to be medical student, did disrupt us prior to the event, decrying conservatism and getting in many of the volunteers’ faces, including my own.
When he first approached me, he mentioned “undress[ing]” me “publicly.” Then, he stood close to my face, telling me he would “stay here for 15 minutes” and then proceeding to call me “sis” and heckle me.
Police did nothing about the encounter. Thankfully, my peer Saavedra and a conservative man attending for his autistic son who couldn’t handle the noise stepped in and deescalated the situation, reminding Kevin to step away from me and directing his attention elsewhere.
“Prove Me Wrong” events are supposed to establish a dialogue and expose leftist students to conservative thought, but the event Wednesday definitely turned into a spirit of political hostility.
Conservative intellectual tradition promotes civility by protecting the ability to debate ideas respectfully, and universities are supposed to be at the forefront of the search for truth.
Unfortunately, our event characterized how many students are being taught to normalize civil disobedience and embrace contradictions such as free speech for me but not for thee.
Editor’s note: Paris Apodaca is the secretary of the TPUSA chapter at the University of Washington.
When contacted for comment, university spokesperson Victor Balta told The College Fix:
“There were several counterprotesters chanting and otherwise making their presence known. Conduct that prevents a speaker from being heard can amount to a heckler’s veto and is not protected by the First Amendment. One individual was drumming loudly as close to the registered event as possible and it was preventing the speaker from being heard. Disorderly conduct prohibits the intentional disruption of any lawful assembly or meeting of persons without lawful authority. The individual was arrested after being given and ignoring multiple warnings over an extended period of time to stop the drumming, which was disrupting the registered event.
“The Student Activities Office did receive reports of alleged violations by RSOs during yesterday’s event and those allegations will be addressed through the UW’s RSO conduct process.“
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