My free speech event was shouted down by campus protesters

“F*** Ian.”

That was the response of a crowd of protesters who stormed an event on the University at Albany campus this week. I was invited to speak at the public school by its Turning Point USA chapter, ironically, to discuss the subject of free speech.

WATCH: STANFORD STUDENT TELLS CONGRESS COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS ‘DESTROY’ FREE SPEECH

Unfortunately, students reportedly affiliated with an on-campus college socialist organization decided that this event posed a threat to their very safety, and they aggressively took over the auditorium in an attempt to prevent the speech from even taking place.

The packed room quickly descended into utter chaos. Students chanted various slogans, including “F*** TPUSA,” “Trans rights are human rights,” and, most creatively of all, “Ian sucks.”

They also
chanted
, “F*** you, fascists,” with no sense of irony,
as well as
, “No cops, no KKK, no TPUSA,” which is laughably absurd for two reasons. First, I’m a Jewish immigrant, and so my imaginary membership with the KKK would be challenging to achieve. Second, the very same students who were voicing their disgust at TPUSA’s supposedly Nazi-esque ideology also had no problem simultaneously stuffing their faces with the free pizza provided by TPUSA!

Sure, they’re Nazis, but who doesn’t love pizza?

The root of this anger, according to the protesters, many of whom presumably had never heard of me prior to this event, was the oxymoronic claim that I am both transphobic and anti-woman. The University at Albany chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America even went as far as describing me as an “infamous transphobic” and “alt-right” figure in an “
official response
” to the protest.

Of course, none of this is true, but it’s not really the point.

It’s spectacularly ironic that these students aggressively attempted to prevent free speech during an event dedicated to the importance of free speech on college campuses. Yes, the event was able to proceed after several hours, but only after protesters were escorted away by police.

The fact remains, as these activists demonstrated, that college campuses are no longer a place for ideas to flourish. They’re where ideas go to die.

Let’s say I am everything they accused me of: a Jewish immigrant KKK member who hates transgender people and women. Regardless of these contradictory labels, college students would still have the right to invite me to speak on their public campus, and I would still have the right to accept.

Of course, students also have every right to protest. In fact, I openly supported their right to protest during the evening — even when they inexplicably broke out into a
conga line
.

But this changed when the event was not permitted to take place.

Protesting is free speech. Trying to shut down speech by drowning it out, known as the heckler’s veto, is not free speech.

In reality, the true fascists on Tuesday evening were the students using mob tactics to shut down speech, drown out opposing viewpoints, and threaten their fellow students into remaining quiet.

Thank you to the TPUSA chapter at University at Albany, thank you to the law enforcement officers and faculty who worked to maintain some level of peace, and thank you to those who stayed to listen to my speech and engage in healthy debate.

To everyone who embarrassed themselves by demonstrating their juvenile ignorance of free speech, I hope you enjoyed the free pizza.

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Ian Haworth (
@ighaworth
) is the host of
Off Limits with Ian Haworth
.