This is what happened when @CHSommers tried to start her lecture. pic.twitter.com/WJrQGAnmkA
— Andy C. Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) March 5, 2018
A group of students at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon gathered in opposition to a speaker they considered “fascist,” engaging in chants and songs with the intent of depriving her of a platform on campus. Christina Sommers still managed to speak on campus on Monday, but the students tried their best to make it difficult.
The event was coordinated by the school’s chapter of the Federalist Society. Sommers, a conservative author and speaker, is known for being critical of modern feminist positions. A number of student groups were against the event, and did not believe that someone with Sommers’ positions should have a place to speak on their campus.
The day before the event, the Portland chapter of the National Lawyers Guild expresses their support for the school’s chapter, posting a letter on Facebook calling for the Federalist Society to rescind their invitation to Sommers.
“We are proud of our student chapter for taking a concerted stand against fascist, racist, and misogynistic views being broadcasted on campus!” the letter said. The post said that they were joined by groups representing immigrant, black, female, Jewish, Latino, LGBT and Democratic Socialist law students.
The event went on as planned. Well, sort of. A group of protesters attended the event, and they broke out into chants of “Microaggressions are real!” and “Rape culture is not a myth!” They criticized Sommers for delegitimizing the suffering of women. Journalist and Portland State student Andy C. Ngo posted several images and videos from the event, showing just how chaotic it got.
Sommers said she would be happy to debate the opposition after her speech, but they weren’t having it. The group sang in protest, “No platform for fascists,” and “Which side are you on, friends?” calling on their fellow students in attendance to join them in opposing Sommers.
Protesters start singing again about no-platforming fascists. @CHSommers looks at audience in dismay. pic.twitter.com/STw1DhYFqi
— Andy C. Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) March 5, 2018
Eventually, Sommers spoke, and took questions from the crowd and the situation at the event appeared to calm down a bit, although protesters outside the room could still be heard chanting in opposition.
Sommers later complained about the event on Twitter, saying that a dean at the school made her end her speech early to take questions.
“I was never able to develop my argument,” she said. “Shouldn’t the dean have insisted protesters allow me to finish, rather than cut speech short?”
In a subsequent tweet, Sommers said she “finally had control of the room” when she was cut short, but she acknowledged that the dean may have been trying to “prevent more chaos.”
[Image via Twitter screengrab]
