Following Antifa radicals’ attack on Tomi Lahren that forced her Turning Point USA event at the University of New Mexico to be tormented following a violent leftist mob breaching the building, UNM released a response.
“We are deeply disappointed in the actions of those individuals who intentionally chose to disrupt a scheduled speaker and infringed upon the rights of the speaker and those who attended the event to listen and engage, vandalized University property and unlawfully pulled a fire alarm,” the university said in a statement reported by Breitbart News.
UNM noted that the extent of the damage included “A hole” that was “found in the drywall of one of the Student Union Building walls.”
“The University of New Mexico is committed to the principles of free speech and values its role as a public square for debate, a marketplace of ideas, and a place to test and challenge competing viewpoints and opinions. In this context, allowing speakers invited by a student organization on campus in no way implies an endorsement of the content of their speeches or their opinions. And those who disagree with the ideas expressed are encouraged to respectfully voice their perspectives,” UNM wrote.
The university continued, “Additionally, several UNM departments will be meeting to discuss improving the environment in which a speaker’s right to conduct their scheduled programming is ensured along with the public’s right to free speech, especially when our facilities are in use for multiple events at the same time.”
Following this statement, the First Amendment-focused group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) wrote, “FIRE commends UNM for getting it right — unlike many universities in the past,” adding:
UNM took action — calling in more security, barricading the door, and ensuring Lahren finished her speech — before escorting Lahren out for safety reasons. The institution also made clear that it will not tolerate students who infringe on others’ expressive rights regardless of any legitimate complaints regarding the speaker or host organization.
In keeping with the First Amendment, UNM must make sure to limit any sanctions it may impose to those who disrupted the event, and not punish non-disruptive and non-violent protesters who remained outside expressing their own First Amendment rights. So long as it does so, UNM’s actions here should serve as a model to other institutions that will face the substantial disruption of events in the future.
Its about time that the looney left is taught a civics lesson, peaceful protest is acceptable but violent disruption is illegal.
…and if UNM didn’t respond as it has, the left liberal violence will continue unabated. HOWEVER…
I am 97%positive UNM’s message is still being subdued and suppressed
Now for the real thought process needs to begin and UNM needs to insure that its stances on free speech and the campus’s use for freedom of speech is the place for lawful public debate where individuals respect the speakers as they own the platform and stop interrupting during their speech’s until they, the speakers, ask for questions from the audience.
Outbursts and constant interruptions are not beneficial to any speaker or their audiences. The rules UNM has need to be made and are well understood by the violent idiots they permit on campus… Violent students or others permitted on the campus of UNM need to be barred, removed and criminally trespassed form the Universities properties.
Put a public message on the liberal news media outlets and have it broadcasted to the entire State as well as put posters of what UNM expects during visitation by all guests and those acting out shall…(NOT MAY) shall be held criminally liable for their actions. AND “Boom.”.. by installing these simple age old steps of being polite, known to exist since the dawn of humankind… you create an actual working environment for, free speech.
I think that their “response” is only because this story made national news. Tomi is pretty well-received anywhere she speaks and this is the first time she encountered this kind of reception. It blew up in their faces, which was perfect. Every once in a while, I hear about UNM and other New Mexico colleges struggling with admissions…this is why, people. My own kid didn’t consider UNM because of their liberal left stance and coddling those kinds of thinkers. Not where we chose to spend our money, because our family doesn’t live in that fantasy land.
Unfortunately, most New Mexicans seem to be in that fantasy land; they keep reelecting political hacks who steal from them and lie about it!
You are 100% correct. UNM is a leftist university which forces (so called) ‘Diversity’ courses down the throats of their students in order to graduate.
I fully agree and whole heartily support your comment as to divergent points of view allowed to be heard, without threat of violence. I disagree with the sophomoric name calling contained in your comment introduction.
Let’s just base it on historical context? Brown shirts, Black shirts, Red Octoberist, Red faction, Red Guards, to name a few in the last 100 years ! These were the names selected by their own agendas, ( NASDAP, Fascist party, Stalin’s youth program, East German terrorist,& Chairman Mau’s terrorist.
All had one agenda threaten, intimidate, political oposition AKA in US law under the devinition of terrorism……..! The threat,or implied use, or use of violence for political &/ religious changes!
Call it what it is TERRORISM !
Brown shirts, Black shirts, red guards,Bosivics, Red octoberist, Red faction, etc. etc. etc. each and everyone of them are political action forces used by despots to intimidate, terrorize, threaten, political oposition ! Historical facts