Law professor Ilya Shapiro, currently on administrative leave from Georgetown Law School following a misread tweet, was shouted down during a speaking engagement at the University of California, Hastings College of Law on Tuesday, with one attendee screaming, “You’re a f****** coward!”
At the Federalist Society-sponsored event, protesters chanted and screamed at the professor, who was there to debate UC Hastings professor Rory Little in an event titled “The Battle Over Justice Breyer’s Seat.” Before Shapiro could speak, demonstrators began chanting, “Black lawyers matter!”
Protesters also held signs featuring phrases such as “I am not lesser,” “UCH condones white supremacy,” “Support black women,” “Black women matter,” and “Ketanji Brown Jackson,” referencing President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee.
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At various points during the event, the demonstrators stomped their feet, slammed books and hands on tables, and yelled. At other times, audience members chanted, “Say it to her face,” also yelling for the law professor to “get out.”
“You’re not welcome here,” one attendee screamed.
Shapiro could not get a word in, as yelling ensued shortly after each attempt.
“We’re not going to let you talk,” a protester said.
He remained patient throughout the prolonged disruption, however.
After the event, or lack thereof, the school reportedly sent an email to students denouncing the demonstrators who prevented the debate from proceeding.
“The act of silencing a speaker is fundamentally contrary to the values of this school as an institution of higher learning,” the university wrote.
A relatively strong statement from the UC Hasting administration, sent to the student body just now. The question is, given that the activists violated the code of student conduct, as this email explicitly acknowledges—what will the consequences be? pic.twitter.com/XfCc1YjgmV
— Nate Hochman (@njhochman) March 2, 2022
The school continued, “We understand the genuine pain felt by students who have been personally and negatively affected by Mr. Shapiro’s speech and positions,” emphasizing that it supports Shapiro’s right to speak on the campus.
Shapiro was placed on leave last month after a tweet critical of Biden’s pledge to nominate a black woman to the Supreme Court was misread.
“Objectively best pick for Biden is Sri Srinivasan, who is solid prog & v smart. Even has identity politics benefit of being first Asian (Indian) American. But alas doesn’t fit into the latest intersectionality hierarchy so we’ll get lesser black woman. Thank heaven for small favors?” he wrote in the now-deleted tweet.
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Some read the tweet to mean that black women were lesser.
