Columbia University Student Republicans Invite White Nationalists To Speak On Campus

Scott Heins

Published Sep 8, 2017

Modified Sep 8, 2017

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Scott Heins

Published Sep 8, 2017

Modified Sep 8, 2017

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If you're a plucky student group hoping to grow your membership this semester, then who better to bring in to do campus outreach than a conservative C-list YouTuber who wants you to stop masturbating and start taking more Fish Oil? No, this isn't a game-winning Cards Against Humanity hand, this is Mike Cernovich, the prolific right wing livestreamer and Pizzagate conspiracy theoriest, and he's speaking at Columbia this fall.

Both Cernovich and English Defense League founder Tommy Robinson are on the list of invited guests of the Columbia University College Republicans for the coming semester, their presence no doubt intended to trigger all those snowflake libs who need a safe space to store all their participation trophies they got from AntiFa for disrespecting the troops. According to the Columbia Spectator , pharma bro/Wu-Tang reseller/convicted felon Martin Shkreli has also been invited by the Republican group, but may not be able to make it due to his pending prison sentence.

“Our club hosts speakers that [are] on the wide range of the conservative [or] Republican party,” President of CUCR Ari Boosalis, told the student paper. “Our job is to bring speakers that challenge this community and really give us a sense of what those ideologies actually [are], and we want our members to decide and figure out if they’re a conservative or Republican or whatever.” Past examples of speakers that "challenge this community" are race science theorist Charles Murray and convicted campaign finance scofflaw Dinesh D'Souza. Both speakers drew harsh criticism and protest from Columbia students.

Inviting so-called "alt-right" speakers as a form of concern-trolling has become a part of the fabric of modern campus life, and has occasionally led to violent de-platforming protests. Last year, former Brietbart editor/pedophilia apologist Milo Yiannopoulos canceled a speaking date at UC Berkeley after demonstrations between his detractors and supporters turned violent. At a similar speaking event two months earlier in Milwaukee, Yiannopoulos targeted a transgender student attending the University of Milwaukee, displaying her photograph and unfoundedly accusing her of acts of sexual harassment.

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Scott Heins

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Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.

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