Days after the University of Michigan reversed a decision to cancel an on-campus showing of “American Sniper,” two more colleges across the nation faced protests that ultimately resulted in postponements of screenings of the film.
The student-run movie theater on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, postponed a screening of “American Sniper” on April 10 after the college’s Muslim Students Association (MSA) demanded it be cancelled, according to Campus Reform.
In a Facebook post, the Union Programs and Activities Committee (UPAC) Cinema explained that the film will be screened at a later date when it can be accompanied by an “educational forum.” The theater insisted that the postponement was not an act of “censorship” and was meant to avoid creating “any tensions or hatred among students.”
“Censorship is an attempt to bring a subject out of focus; our action is an attempt to bring strong issues into greater focus,” read the post. “We want to hold an educational event that invites members from MSA, the Student Veterans of America, and any other organizations that could take interest in this film to lead a discussion open to all RPI students and faculty members.”
While a student created a petition demanding the screening continue as scheduled that garnered nearly 300 signatures, it was ultimately ineffective.
On the same night that RPI’s campus theater replaced “American Sniper” with “The Theory of Everything,” 40 protesters disrupted to two on-campus screenings of “Sniper” at Eastern Michigan University, according to MLive.
The protesters — four of which were eventually detained by campus police — hopped on stage during the first showing, wielding signs and shouting at the crowd. Though the first screening eventually continued, the second was canceled as a result.
According to the university’s Facebook page, the second screening will be rescheduled.
“Eastern Michigan University is an open and diverse community with many perspectives and viewpoints,” EMU spokesman Geoff Larcom explained in statement. “We respect the rights of our students to speak out on issues of importance to them and we encourage civil debate and discussion that promotes empathy and understanding.”
“American Sniper,” which is based on the autobiography of late Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, has been enormously popular since its release late last year, securing its spot as the highest-grossing movie of 2014.
