When conservative author and commentator Ben Shapiro showed up on DePaul University’s campus Tuesday night, security guards were ready to escort him off the property—or have him arrested for trespassing.
Shapiro was banned from DePaul’s campus in August after the administration raised concerns that their security force could not handle any potential student unrest that would accompany Shapiro’s presentation. He was invited by DePaul’s branch of Young America’s Foundation to speak alongside Christina Hoff Summers Tuesday night, in defiance of the ban, but said he would sit in the audience instead after DePaul threatened to suspend the YAF group.
Earlier on Tuesday, Shapiro got wind that DePaul was considering using their security forces to enforce their August ban—and that it included not just a ban on Shapiro speaking to the student body, but a ban on Shapiro stepping foot anywhere on DePaul’s campus.
When Shapiro arrived, a full battalion was there to meet him. The incident was captured on video.
@benshapiro talking to security guards in front of @DePaulU . "30 members of security for a 5'9" jewish guy". #freedepaul #YAFonCampus pic.twitter.com/zcKNY70hic
— Genco Pura (@yoxov) November 16, 2016
*EXCLUSIVE VIDEO* @BenShapiro barred from entering DePaul lecture hall to join @CHSommers for YAF lecture on free speech. pic.twitter.com/uHhCWOU6uS
— YAF (@yaf) November 16, 2016
Part two: @benshapiro is barred from entering, threatened with arrest for attempting to engage in free speech. https://t.co/xhzSYPzYQk
— YAF (@yaf) November 16, 2016
In the video, Shapiro can be seen asking several dozen security guards why such a huge force is necessary to keep him from entering campus, as there were no protesters to be seen.
“I’m wondering why is it so necessary to keep me personally out?” Shapiro says.
The security guard replies, “The bottom line is, it’s private property,” and tells Shapiro that if he takes “three more steps” onto campus, that DePaul will be forced to call the authorities and have him arrested for trespassing. And they weren’t kidding. Cook County Sheriffs had been called in to staff the event.
Cook County sheriff is at DePaul waiting for @benshapiro and @CHSommers #LetBenSpeak @yaf pic.twitter.com/BlkedrcXke
— Patrick X Coyle (@PatrickXCoyle) November 15, 2016
When Shapiro asks the guards if such a major show of force is warranted, the guard quips, “It may be a mild misallocation of recourses.”
Summers and Shapiro then led a mass walkout of YAF students and speech attendees and held their joint event off campus—and Shapiro and others were quick to point out DePaul’s folly on social media.
A major American university banning a talk on free speech is leftist fascism. #FreeDePaul
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) November 15, 2016
So @benshapiro was threatened with arrest for trying to enter a free speech event at DePaul. Insane. #StandWithYAF #LetBenSpeak
— UB YAF (@YAF_UB) November 15, 2016
@DePaulU threatens to arrest conservative @benshapiro if he sets foot on campus to speak about free speech at @yaf event. @CNN @FoxNews
— Freedom (@Seirfean) November 16, 2016
DISASTER AVERTED
30 Security guards protect @DePaulU after @benshapiro attempts to deliver freedom of speech lecture https://t.co/UYwl15jvPF pic.twitter.com/2gzCnmx4nY— The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) November 16, 2016
Heat Street has requested comment from DePaul University but has yet to receive a response.
