Hundreds of people both young and older turned out at 4:00 p.m. yesterday at Colorado Mesa University Corner 12th St. and North Ave to support diversity and immigrants’ rights and protest CMU providing a platform for white supremacist Jared Taylor to speak on campus. It was a violence-free, albeit noisy demonstration with cheers, bullhorns, a vuvuzela, drums and other noisemakers. Many passing drivers honked in approval, encouraging a roar of support from the crowd and adding to the cacophony. Following are more scenes and protest signs from the demonstration:
Such an inspiring and therapeutic demonstration. Thank you to all who participated!
Love this!
They would never let a pro-Palestinian talk in spite of all this free speech BS!
Reading the Sentinel article, seeing that lawyer jumping in the fray, led me to wonder if Taylor and company were looking for a lawsuit. That might be how they get a lot of their funds, threatening to sue over First Amendment, ride the wave of lots of attention, publicity, community turmoil, then getting a nice settlement to make it all go away. This happens quite often. If that’s the case and as much as I hate to admit it, Marshall did the right thing. Playing into these fascist’s hands not the way to go. What was wrong was the student group inviting him, therefore going along with this ruse, being duped. Unless, of course, they agree with those tactics and wanted them to happen here in GJ.
That’s an interesting take, although I don’t think Taylor and his crew are influential enough to make an impact…or even want to. They have a vision that very few are willing to ascribe to, mainly because it’s pretty preposterous and very esoteric.
As far as the student…I give him props for peeking his head out and inviting someone like Taylor to speak. But that’s as far as it went. The event wasn’t well prepared and he (Maxwell?)
didn’t answer questions about why he did this. IOW, he wasn’t a good spokesman. Several of the other groups he’s involved with (Turning Point USA) distanced themselves, for obvious reasons.
But, it was a nice day for everyone to wear their summer clothes and eat free food.
…as he was invited to do.
I wonder if the people so critical of Marshall are aware that in 1977 the ACLU, on behalf of the national socialist party (NAZIs), sued the city of Skokie ( a very Jewish suburb of Chicago) so that their clients would be allowed to march. It went to the Supreme Court and the ACLU prevailed.
It is considered *the* landmark free speech decision in our country’s history.
Marshall made the correct decision…although it would have been much better had he confronted Taylor on stage.