Students attempt to shut down free speech event at SUNY campus: Media Miss

Apr 07, 2023

Shannon Longworth Reporter

By Shannon Longworth (Reporter), Ben Burke (Producer)

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

Students disrupted a Turning Point USA seminar at the State University of New York at Albany on Tuesday, April 4. The incident occurred when students entered the room where the seminar was taking place, chanting and dancing. At one point, the protesters crumpled a Bible. Some of the chants were directed at conservative guest speaker Ian Haworth who was there to discuss the First Amendment.

Haworth later tweeted that he found it “the most socialist thing” he had ever seen, as students were “screaming ‘no cops, no KKK, no @TPUSA’ at a Jewish immigrant while also happily shoveling free pizza down their throats paid for by…@TPUSA!”

The university moved the event to another room while the demonstration continued outside. The campus chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America released a statement the next day, saying it did not organize the protest and has no connection to it, but it stands in solidarity with the students who demonstrated against Haworth. The group said the action remained peaceful, but that two students were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing government administration in the second degree.

This incident is the latest instance in a trend of clashes over free speech at universities. in March, Stanford Law students interrupted a conservative federal judge who had visited. At the beginning of April, Cornell rejected a resolution from its student assembly that would have required trigger warnings for course content.

Straight Arrow News aims to identify when stories are being underreported on either side of the political aisle and media landscape. This story is a Media Miss for left-leaning outlets, with most sources reporting it being either right-leaning or center-oriented outlets, according to Ground.News.

Tags: Free Speech, Media Miss, Turning Point USA

SHANNON LONGWORTH: THIS VIDEO IS FROM SUNY ALBANY, WHERE STUDENTS PROTESTED A TURNING POINT USA SEMINAR THIS WEEK.

YOU CAN SEE STUDENTS ENTERING THE ROOM, CHANTING AND DANCING…AT ONE POINT, CRUMPLING A BIBLE.

SOME OF THE CHANTS WERE DIRECTED AT THE CONSERVATIVE GUEST SPEAKER, IAN HAWORTH, WHO WAS THERE TO DISCUSS THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

HAWORTH TWEETED WEDNESDAY:

“THE MOST SOCIALIST THING I’VE EVER SEEN IS A BUNCH OF DERANGED STUDENTS SCREAMING ‘NO COPS, NO KKK, NO @TPUSA’ AT A JEWISH IMMIGRANT WHILE ALSO HAPPILY SHOVELING FREE PIZZA DOWN THEIR THROATS PAID FOR BY…@TPUSA!”

EVENTUALLY, THE UNIVERSITY MOVED THE EVENT TO ANOTHER ROOM, WHILE THE DEMONSTRATION CONTINUED OUTSIDE.

THE CAMPUS CHAPTER OF THE YOUNG DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA RELEASED A STATEMENT THE NEXT DAY, SAYING IT DID NOT ORGANIZE THE PROTEST AND HAS NO CONNECTION TO IT, BUT IT STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE STUDENTS WHO DEMONSTRATED AGAINST HAWORTH.

“WHILE ALBANY YDSA IS IN SUPPORT OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, WE BELIEVE THIS INDIVIDUAL’S HATEFUL RHETORIC IS A CLEAR DANGER AND SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO THE MANY QUEER STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY.”

THE GROUP SAID THE ACTION REMAINED PEACEFUL, BUT THAT TWO STUDENTS WERE ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND OBSTRUCTING GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION IN THE SECOND DEGREE.

THIS IS THE LATEST INSTANCE IN A TREND OF CLASHES OVER FREE SPEECH AT UNIVERSITIES…THIS WEEK, CORNELL REJECTED A RESOLUTION FROM ITS STUDENT ASSEMBLY THAT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR COURSE CONTENT. LAST MONTH, STANFORD LAW STUDENTS INTERRUPTED A CONSERVATIVE FEDERAL JUDGE WHO’D VISITED.

THIS STORY IS CONSIDERED A MEDIA MISS, AS IT’S BEEN UNDERREPORTED BY LEFT-LEANING OUTLETS. AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, WE WORK TO BRING YOU STORIES FROM ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, INCLUDING THOSE THAT GET MISSED BY REPORTERS ON THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT.