Will I speak at UCLA? Not if the fascists get their way, and the fascists are in control of the campus.
“UCLA Stonewalling Approval for Lecture by Counter-Jihad Expert: Contingent on Behavior of Pro-Hamas Radicals,” by Nick Baker, YAF, April 30, 2024:
The University of California – Los Angeles is refusing to approve of an event featuring Robert Spencer, founder and director of Jihad Watch, citing ongoing leftist encampments as the administration’s primary concern. The public institution is allowing the radical students and outside agitators to take control over campus, even allowing the terror-supporters to block Jewish students from stepping foot on campus.
In a meeting with the leaders of UCLA Young Americans for Freedom, Police Sergeant Roland Ruiz said, “I can say from the PD perspective, we can’t approve–we don’t know yet–how long the encampments will go on, and so we wouldn’t yet give our approval.”
He explained that unless the students pack up camp within the next 14 days, the YAF chapter’s permission to host an event is in jeopardy.
In order to fulfill the university’s requirements for event approval, UCLA YAF Chairman Matthew Weinberg submitted an event planning worksheet, a venue reservation, and a contract for signature on behalf of the university.
For more than a week, UCLA Student Organizations, Leadership & Engagement administrators Kenneth Qian, Mike Cohn, and Kristopher Kaupalolo simply ignored Weinberg’s emails and attempts to arrange in-person meetings.
Only after Weinberg sent a warning that he would have to escalate the situation to the chancellor did the administrators agree to meet.
Also during the meeting, Pamela Lewis, an administrator who oversees the UCLA Student Union, said that “there is no timeframe” in which the chapter can expect to receive an update.
“It sounds like we might not know [the approval status] until the very last minute and we won’t be able to promote the event, and that is an infringement of our First Amendment rights,” Weinberg said in response. “The people in the encampments are frankly violating campus policy and nothing is being done about it. People are being physically assaulted, we just want a free speech event, and we’re being told no.”
In addition to the leftist encampment and illegal barrier that has been set up to keep Jewish students out, students vandalized the YAF chapter’s Israeli flag display two nights ago.
In a statement shared with the New Guard, Weinberg said, “The fact that UCLA would prioritize agitators—some who aren’t even students—who are in clear violation of campus policy and have been physically assaulting Jewish students, over students who seek to engage in the free exchange of ideas about the Israel-Hamas war, demonstrates not only cowardice but also a lack of moral clarity. It is absurd beyond comprehension and it must be addressed.”
Spencer shared a similar perspective: “UCLA officials are unsure of their ability to provide security because they are unsure that they want to provide security. The encampment is the result of their own inundation of their students with far-left agitprop, and their substitution of propaganda for the tools of critical thought. They have demonized and stigmatized opposition to the far-left perspective for decades, and denied it a fair hearing. Now that the full results of their indoctrination efforts is becoming clear, they risk turning the wrath of the mob they have created against themselves if they allow the opposing perspective to be heard. Hence they are opting to take the easy way out and bow to the mob.”
After being forced to pay a $70,000 settlement to Young America’s Foundation in 2018, the University of California system ought to be aware of the fact that YAF does not play around when our students’ First Amendment rights are infringed.
Young America’s Foundation’s team is considering all legal options.
CommonCentsChris says
First off – I am THRILLED to hear that the Young Americas Foundation received a $70,000 settlement from UofC! How appropriate.
What’s NOT appropriate is that UCLA would prioritize TERRORIST SYMPATHIZERS and PRO-MURDERERS and Baby Racists over a Guest Speaker to ADDRESS the largest issue of our current time. In fact, at a place where hundreds of children are “confused” about the TRUTH and the actual issues, and are siding with TERRORISTS kind of tells you why UCLA could actually USE somebody like Mr. Spencer, that can speak the truth about the actual issues, history, religion, facts… and field questions. Obviously somebody has already brainwashed hundreds at UCLA with non-truths… time to set them straight. I HOPE THIS HAPPENS. This NEEDS to Happen.
Blougeoisie says
70k is only one year of tuition for one person. Not even a fat DEI vp salary.
tunde says
Genuinely hoping you can speak, Robert. It would be awesome to finally hear you live.
James Lincoln says
According to the feature article:
“The encampment is the result of their own inundation of their students with far-left agitprop”
I learned a new word: “agitprop”. And I thought that I had a decent vocabulary…
Am I the only one here that had to look it up?
Westman says
Did so some years back. Our US media, particularly the New York Times, is getting to be the new Pravda, vomiting agiprop nonstop.
Rufolino says
In the UK “agitprop” has been a fashionable word in some intellectual circles for years.
Westman says
The subversion of American pride in citizenship has come directly from the US education system and from parents with drifting standards who passed little about appropriate behavior and the foundations of the US Constitution to their children.
The University Educators claim that Universities are a place for debates and yet organize no debates, fearing that their position may not hold up to scrutiny and additional knowledge. We have already seen the moral outrage expressed in pro-Hamas demonstrations based on shallow knowledge by kids, many who can’t point to Israel on a map.
Demonstrations are NOT debates. The US University System is failing in its claimed responsibility to foster debate and have all points of view and information available for students. Instead, they have become indoctrination centers that have brought students into delusions about human nature and that a University Education will guarantee financial and social success. For some, it brings debt and years of income they lost.
I fear that the population is getting so unstable and into delusions that our “leaders” will stumble into war where those delusions will be challenged at great human cost.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Well, as per the previous story, Jews are prevented from entering UCLA, so what’s the point? To just have all those pro-“Palestinian” supporters disrupt & end your lecture?
Honestly, I think campus groups should consider setting up these lectures/seminars virtually, be it on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp video conference or whatever – where all the willing participants can log in at a given time and listen to the speakers. If that’s the way people work these days, it could be the way to have these conferences: everybody in the comfort of their homes, & no thug capable of disrupting any of it
Of course, they could try & put pressure on Zoom, Alphabet, Microsoft, et al, but the solution against that would be to roll out another cloud conferencing software, just like Rumble was built to give people an alternative to YouTube when it came to political opinion being censored
James Lincoln says
Infidel,
I get your point about using Zoom type platforms for campus guest lecturers – and it may very well have a place.
But…
It’s also another way of “enabling” the Left’s efforts to prevent live lectures / robust debate.
England Invaded says
While the police in the US deal with the pro hamas riots, a PC in the UK has been charged with terrorism offences.
PC Mohammed Adil, 26 of West Yorkshire Police, for sharing hamas messages on WhatsApp.
Tom says
I hope the young Jewish man, who was blocked from attending class, ends up owning the university! He would invite you to speak!
CalvinsLutheran says
We bloggers do NOT realize that our continuous, hyper cerebral pontificating will not actuate anything in the real world. Intellectualism is sometimes the drain on motive force that will be called into the real drama that the West faces. How many people of The West realize that if it were not for the Ashkenazi Jews Europe would have been overrun by the Muslim hordes centuries ago. Today those same Jews are the bulwark against the West being overrun today. The idiot West should pray that poetic justice is not issued by The God of Israel upon our ungrateful heads. But awakening wooden blocks seems unlikely without a Divine Miracle at this point.
HENRY says
A few days ago a video surfaced of a man trying to walk through the UCLA pro-Hamas tent village. He was met by two masked students at a desk set up bearing the sign ‘Press Entrance’,
There his press credentials were demanded and he was informed he could walk through but not film. The two also asked if he had peanuts or bananas in his possession, he replied that he did not and that he could film in a public outdoor area because of the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution.
He began his walk, and was stopped by pro-Hamas students shielding his camera lens.
A day later it was reported the curious question about peanuts and bananas was because of concern over food allergies.
Robert Spencer should contact the UCLA administration and allay fears for his safety by telling them he will arrive for his speech wearing a suit adorned with peanuts and bananas…nobody will come near him.
Ian says
15th May is close to the date Isreal was formed 14th may. I think they call it shaban, not sure though.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more violence than normal around that date.
Whilst I support Robert and very much support free speech. I admire your bravery but would like to keep you safe.
It is shocking that so called universities are shutting down debate. This is supposed to be the platform for such debates.
Palestinian Red Crescent Society says
???
Palestinian Red Crescent Society says
Which