“There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always— do not forget this, Winston— always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face— forever. ”
— George Orwell, 1984
Back on April 18, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) and the College Republicans at the University of Pittsburgh hosted Michael Knowles for a debate with Brad Polumbo. The topic was “Should Transgenderism Be Regulated by Law?” Thirty minutes were allocated for a Q&A session with the audience, followed by a meet-and-greet with Knowles. Knowles is among a number of prominent conservatives who regularly face fire from leftists during campus appearances and has also been targeted for his views on transgenderism. The school charged the groups a “security fee” of $18,734.
The Alliance Defending Freedom, who is representing the groups, notes that the event had been planned months in advance and that the sponsors met all of the school’s stipulations. At first, the university told ISI that it would need to pay $2,000 for security. Six days before Knowles was scheduled to arrive on campus, ISI was told that an additional charge of $16,925 had been assessed. The increased cost, according to ADF, was ostensibly based on the potential for the violence and damage that might result from the event.
While the additional charges levied just days before the event is at the very least questionable, the college also urged dissenting students to protest Knowles’ appearance. In a letter to Geovette E. Washington, the university’s Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Legal Officer, ADF wrote:
On March 10, the University issued a Press Release calling the April 18 Event “toxic and hurtful for many people in our University community.” On March 16, Provost (Ann) Cudd referred to a recent speech by Michael Knowles as “repugnant” and “hate-filled rhetoric” in a message she sent the Pitt Community. And on April 14, Professor Mahoney advised her students that “[t]he Theatre Arts department, along with many other departments, students, faculty, and staff at Pitt, strongly condemns this event and has called on the University to cancel Knowles’ appearance due to his history of spreading hate speech and inciting violence against trans people.” She added, “Unfortunately, it looks as though the event is still scheduled to take place,” and invited students to participate in “several events planned for Tuesday, April 18 in response to Knowles’ unwelcome presence on campus.” After these provocative communications, signs were posted throughout campus calling on students to “Shut Down Michael Knowles” by showing up at Cathedral Lawn on April 18 at 6:45 pm – i.e., one of the events Professor Mahoney urged her students to attend.
As a result, protestors showed up en masse to the event and proceeded to shove attendees, lob smoke bombs, and burn Knowles in effigy. ADF also alleges that Pitt police did not prevent the protestors from blocking the street and coming within “striking distance” of the attendees. The campus police also shut down the event because of a “deteriorating” situation.
ADF asserts that the student’s First Amendment rights were violated. It also claims that the additional fee and the incitement of protestors by the college were both unconstitutional, as was the failure of the college to provide adequate security. It is demanding that the university rescind the $18,000 fee, clarify its guidelines for campus events, and compensate ISI for damages.
Even to the most casual observer, it should be obvious that the University of Pittsburgh was sending a message with the additional fee. That message was, “We don’t like your kind. We don’t want you here. But since we can’t stop you, we can make it as expensive as possible,” and, “It’s a nice event ya got here. Be a shame if something happened to it.”
But something did happen to the event — at the behest of the faculty and even Provost Cudd. The University of Pittsburgh knew that since it could not cancel the event, it could make it almost cost-prohibitive. And then it unleashed its attack dogs to ensure the very chaos and violence that the “fee” was supposed to prevent. And it was done with the tacit approval of campus police officers who were either too craven or self-interested to protect the event and attendees.
Related: Leftist Students Flee Campus in Fear of Terrifying Speaker: Uh, Mike Pence
ADF may succeed in getting the fee rescinded. It might even secure a half-hearted apology from the University of Pittsburgh. But the event is over and the damage has been done. And the message has been sent to anyone else who might be interested in holding a similar event: keep your heads down and your mouths shut. Or else. You wouldn’t want a boot to the face, would you?
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