At Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., a campus-wide controversy erupted on Oct. 20. School President Robert Knight encouraged professors to cancel classes due to an anticipated rally that day by Joey Gibson, founder of the Oregon-based group Patriot Prayer. This unconventional action was deemed a method of blocking students from attending the event by the conservative advocacy group speaking at the school later that afternoon.
A native of Camas, Wash., Joey Gibson held the event around the Chime Tower outside of Clark’s Gaiser Hall. Gibson presented a message in direct opposition to Washington’s Initiative 1639, the gun-safety ballot initiative before voters this November. If enacted, the initiative will impose greater background checks, age limits, and waiting periods to purchase semi-automatic rifles.
The impromptu cancellation of classes at Clark made the crowd size scarce, causing only a small gathering of loyal supporters to attend, in addition to various Portland and Vancouver media outlets. The event began at Clark College, later migrating to the Evergreen Boulevard overpass above Interstate 5, and finally circling back to campus. The signs used in the protest contained messages like, “The billionaire’s scheme NO i-1639” and “Lifetime medical privacy waiver turns victims into criminals.”
“Today we have like what, maybe 20 people, maybe 30, carrying flags — don’t tread on me flags — and the president decided to shelter his students to keep me off this campus so that they don’t experience a debate,” Gibson said. “We’ll challenge the president. If he wants to shut down the entire school because people are coming in who want to support the Second Amendment, he can do it again.”
Gibson continued, “But then we’ll just have to come back on Thursday or Friday because we’re here to send a message to these students, who were building a soft culture in this country right now special to youth where … carrying a gun is somehow … some act of violence. Not open carrying, not being controversial, it’s not working; we’re losing this state, we’re losing the West Coast.”
When asked whether he thought Knight deliberately sought to sabotage the event, Gibson asserted wholeheartedly that “the cancellation of classes at Clark was a calculated effort to do what they could in destroying our event.” Gibson gives credit to the heavy presence of law enforcement in the area as being a successful deterrent to any violent protest groups, which are usually prevalent in Patriot Prayer’s peaceful rallies. “We must protect our rights and educate people about how they’re trying to take our guns,” Gibson warned.
Founded in 2016, Patriot Prayer rallies across the U.S. and plans to reach more colleges down the road. In closing a speech recently delivered to the University of Vancouver, Gibson said, “1639 is one more step to take away your God-given right to the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment is the most important amendment that we have.” Gibson reminds colleges that the law would ban assault rifles, despite most gun-related deaths occurring from hand guns.
Patriot Prayer later returned to Clark College on Oct. 22 and spoke at other Washington-based schools throughout the month.
Robert Knight did not respond to requests for comment.
Stone Washington is a student at Clemson University in South Carolina.
