When students and supporters lined up outside Lincoln Park Student Center at De Paul University, they expected to hear a talk about safe spaces for freedom of speech from the controversial journalist, Milo Yiannopoulos. What no one expected to happen transpired at the middle of the lecture --- activists went to the stage and held a protest against the journalist without intervention from authorities.
Edward Ward, an alumnus of De Paul University who founded Men of Vision and Empowerment was joined on stage by a student, Kayla Johnson while Milo Yiannopoulos was having his talk. They chanted "Black Lives Matter" and "Feel the Bern" in front of 550 attendees who were mostly supporters of the journalist (via The De Paulia).
In an interview with Heatstreet, Edward Ward remains unfazed. He believes that Milo Yiannopoulos public remarks or "hate speech" put his safety at risk.
"When I went, I was open to listen to what was being said, I was open to listen and try to understand. But when it's coming from a point of ignorance, when you make these blatant statements about feminists, when you make blatant statements about the LGBTQ community, when you make statements about black people, then it becomes a problem--because when you use this kind of hatred, people like us end up dead," he told Heatstreet.
During the protest, the security personnel were confined to their stations and did not intervene. Milo Yiannopoulos then called his supporters from the audience to join him as he marches to the President's office and complain about the passive response to what happened (via Breitbart).
When they went outside the auditorium, Milo and his supporters faced a group of activists. They shouted at each other but no one was reported hurt (via Breitbart). After failing to return to the Student Center and resume the talk, Milo Yiannopoulos went home instead (via The De Paulia).
According to The Tab, Milo Yiannopoulos is an anti-feminist who thinks that modern feminism is just blatantly man-hating. He is an avid supporter of Trump who he calls "Daddy."
"Feminism used to be about raising women up and giving them equal access to the institutions and to opportunities and to the workplace. But feminism has gone beyond that into outright man-hating, and it is now, in my view, principally defined by man-hating, not by supporting women," he told The Tab.
When The Tab asked about why he supports Donald Trump for president, he answered, "Whether it’s economic, or worries about national security, he has gone in and said things that the Republican establishment was too scared of seeming racist or seeming whatever to say. But there are other groups of people who love Trump too, like me, who just want to see the system burn down because it’s broken and it’s not fit for purpose anymore."
Milo Yiannopoulos is a conservative who values freedom of speech and inquiry. He said during the talk at De Paul University that he usually clashes with protestors who are part of the "Black Lives Matter" movement (via The De Paulia).
Do you agree with Edward Hall that Milo Yiannopoulos' remarks are hate speech and an inappropriate practice of freedom of expression? Or do you believe Milo has the right to assert his beliefs? Comment below which side you are on and why.
