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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
An event at the University of Memphis featuring conservative activist Kyle Rittenhouse was disrupted and conservative event organizers were harassed by protestors (identified as BLM members) on Wednesday evening.
Rittenhouse was speaking on campus at an event sponsored by the U of M’s chapter of Turning Point USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of conservative politics and freedom.
He was acquitted of charges related to the 2020 shootings of two people and injury of another in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse argued self-defense after he was violently attacked by a mob of rioters.
The group brought Rittenhouse in to speak about self-defense and the Second Amendment. As he began to speak, protesters inside the venue began shouting over Rittenhouse.
Local media reported that the “majority of students protested his arrival on the campus, forcing Rittenhouse to leave the event early…. he appeared on the stage for only 30 minutes.”
In response, Rittenhouse tweeted, “No one forced me to leave the stage… The event was scheduled for 30 minutes and I was on stage for 30 minutes.”
After the close of the event, protesters chased Rittenhouse and other attendees as they were being escorted by state troopers.
TPUSA says the university took “unprecedented actions to undermine our event” before it even began. Just hours before the event, ticket holders were notified that their previously reserved tickets would no longer be valid. Everyone was forced to rebook tickets for the event.
Andrew Kolvet, TPUSA spokesperson, says the group “gathered credible information” that university officials had leaked new ticketing information to protestors so they would be able to claim the seats before others had a chance.
TPUSA headquarters sent a message to WREG saying, “Attempts to cancel or censor events like these only serve to stifle the exchange of ideas or limit the intellectual diversity to which students are exposed.”
Earlier this year, the group faced similar backlash when Rittenhouse was booked as a speaker on the campus of East Tennessee State University, although protesters at that engagement did not disrupt the event itself, instead protesting outside of the venue.
5 Responses
Stupidity reigns on campus’s. You have the right to protest, you don’t have the right to harass. When your asses are on the line because someone just like you is trying to kill you, you’ll wish to the heavens you had a gun, a knife or maybe a hand grenade. You’ll be afraid, knowing your about to die you’ll be crying for mommy and mommy won’t be there. You’ll die because you couldn’t defend yourself. The BLM is a bigoted, lunkheaded, mess that will in the grand scheme of things learn there are those who will push back.
The National Guard should of been called in to put a stop and arrest these BLM terrorist group trouble makers.
All BLM should be arrested, imprisoned for life. No, i don’t want to pay to feed these scum. Executed!
Tired of this two tiered justice system. One for liberals, one for conservatives.
These judges and prosecutors who are the problem need to be charged with treason for not upholding the constitution of this state and hung by the neck until dead.
The university system nationwide is full of one minded views in administration . These position holders, especially those at state owned funded institutions needs to be reevaluated. There is been repeated underhanded and uncivil behavior directed at those who have opposing views. Of late, that is all coming from the leftists groups such as blm, at more conservative or Christian groups. At this moment in time, I see no difference between blm, nazis, antifa, the kkk, or any group of this caliber; they all promote their own forms of violence and hate. They should have a voice, and a right to protest peacefully. But their megaphone should very very small, and their opinions should not magnified. They contribute very little if anything to the conversation. When the administration ASSISTS them to a larger platform, then the administration needs to held to account. If that means firing them, and replacing them with more well rounded open minded people, so be it. But that is the only way I see that we can swing the balance of power back to a more balanced view.
IT is our fault we put up with trash like BLM, but people sat by and joined right with them a couple of years ago while they burned and looted. AND they were backed by the DNC, and they will keep it up, as long as we let them get by with this crap.