BY COLLEEN KEANE
SPECIAL TO THE NAVAJO TIMES
ALBUQUERQUE — Around a dozen police officers dressed in riot gear, holding batons to their chests blocked the north entrance of the UNM Student Union on Friday night.
Other armed police cut off access to doors on the south and east sides of the building that’s designed as a student meeting place.
They were there to halt hundreds of protesters who aimed to stop a speech by 33-year-old journalist and public speaker Milo Yiannopoulos, who’s known for making derogatory statements about women, people of color, and immigrants during his campus talks that have sparked violence.
Milo, born in Greece and raised in England, has been on a U.S. tour since the beginning of the year.
Before hitting the UNM campus, he appeared on stages at Colorado, California, and Washington state universities.
During his talk at the University of Colorado, three people were reportedly arrested.
At the University of Washington, a man was shot, according to an academic publication called Inside Higher Ed.
In Milo’s UNM talk, posted on YouTube, among many topics of his hour and half speech, he presented his viewpoints on immigration, racial conflict, building the border wall between Mexico and the U.S., the American workforce, while embracing the actions of President Donald Trump, referring to him as “daddy.”
“I do try to keep the main thrust of my speeches and journalism closely anchored to the facts,” he told an audience of about 200 attendees.
Throughout his speech, delivered while wearing a faux black police vest, he ridiculed women, liberals, Muslim-Americans and Canadians, to name a few.
When one audience member countered what he was saying, he stated, “If you could save your bone-headed, obnoxious remarks for the end, I’d be grateful. Don’t interrupt me, or you will be asked to leave.”
At least two women were escorted out, one wearing a hijab, a headdress worn by Muslim women.
“We have to adjust for idiots in the room,” remarked Milo. He noted that he’s been called plenty of names by liberals and that they deserve what he’s dishing out.
Milo writes for Breitbart News, a conservative online news service.
Demetrius Johnson, Kiva Club president, the Native American Club on campus, said the Kiva Club became involved in the protest because the Kiva Club stands against hate speech.
“He talks about our Diné relatives in a negative manner,” he said. Johnson said his plans to protest Milo’s visit began last fall. “
We were told by other college student organizations, ‘You (the Kiva Club) have to do something. You are the most active group. You have to lead the protest.”
During the past couple of years, the Kiva Club, in alliance with Red Nation, a Native American social justice organization, advocated for the abolishment of Columbus Day in the city, which resulted in the establishment of Indigenous Peoples’ Day; ending violence against Native Americans on city streets; and stopping the construction of the North Dakota access pipeline.
Students belonging to the Black Student Association and Muslim Student Association along with students from campuses across New Mexico joined in on the protest.
“It has been amazing to see the coalition come together and show solidarity throughout the state. We will not allow hate speech to come onto our campuses,” said Johnson.
As the number of protesters grew, police, and media helicopters whirred overhead.
At one point, someone in the crowd yelled, “Move back! They just sprayed tear gas!” The College Republicans, a UNM student organization, hosted Milo.
The group refer to him online as a conservative speaker who addresses controversial topics.
In an interview, journalist DD Gutten plan addresses Milo’s appeal to the “alt right.”
Explaining what that means, Milo states, “The alt right for me is primarily a cultural reaction to the nannying and language policing and authoritarianism of the progressive left,” he stated.
For student protesters at UNM, that reaction provokes hatred and crosses the line when it comes to free speech.
“I say he has freedom of speech but he’s not entitled to bring hate speech to a UNM venue. UNM had grounds to reject him and disinvite him,” said Jessica Bennett, a political science major.
“Milo is very homophobic. He’s transphobic. He’s racist. He’s sexist,” said Jordan Anderson, another political science student.
“I don’t feel like hate speech is the sort of speech that should be spread around campus. What he expresses violates the policy at our school,” said Evelyn Ticker hoof, an Art Studio major, as she held a sign that read, “I will never stop fighting for compassion.”
“Shame on UNM. The university should have more compassion for their students of color,” said Rebecca Jones, a Diné student who plans on attending UNM this summer.
According to student enrollment statistics, Hispanic, Native American, African American, Asian, and international students represent around 59 percent of the undergraduate population during the fall of 2016.
Milo’s Friday night audience appeared to be mixed with students supporting a Republican agenda since the talk was hosted by a republican student group, those fulfilling classroom assignments, those curious about his message and those standing against it.
Many clapped when he stated, “2017 is the year social justice (expletive) dies.”
Apparently supporting the concept of free speech, acting UNM President Chaouki Abdallah allowed Milo’s talk to go ahead despite protests from student groups.
Abdallah also suspended a security fee of about $3,200. The fee waiver is now under review by a university council to determine if it’s constitutional or not, according to a UNM spokesperson.
As state and county police stood guard over Student Union entrances and forced protesters to move back, Anderson stressed, “This campus is our home. If we can’t protest here about someone who makes us feel unsafe and unwanted, where do we get to protest?”
One young student, most likely a high school student, appeared in a group known as Anonymous. Members of Anonymous are most known for protesting while wearing Guy Fawkes masks. They’re also known to act as buffers between police and protestors.
“We are here in a big group to protect the people,” said an Anonymous who stood about five feet tall and spoke softly.
The anonymous added that masks are worn “Because it doesn’t matter what we look like. It doesn’t matter who we are, if we are a boy or girl, if we are black or white or Mexican. It doesn’t matter. We are humans. We should have a voice. Our voice is about love, peace and equality.”
As Milo’s talk ran on inside the Student Union, protesters attempted to access the south entrance of the Student Union. Police quickly jumped over barriers and blocked their way. Protestors reacted with loud, angry chants, “Down with imperialists,” “Shame on UNM,” and “Shut him down.”
Protestors raised signs that read, “Smash racism and sexism,” “No hate in our state,” “UNM appeases fascists,” with several posters presenting expletive four letter words.
While tensions ran high, protestors did not resort to violence.
“I actually think this police force is ridiculous, because we have been pretty nice and peaceful the entire time we have been here,” said Anderson.
Johnson said that protesters, mostly students, did not have the same experience.
“We had to move back. They deployed mace or tear gas. I got a whiff of it and began to cough,” said Johnson.
He added that he witnessed a woman being grabbed by the arm by an officer and a reporter who tried to intervene was arrested.
Reflecting on how one man inside the Student Union received so much police protection, Johnson noted that free speech should have been equally protected on both sides of the doors.
“Kiva Club students were threatened with expulsion, if they didn’t follow university policies. What about our rights?” Asked Johnson.
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES | COLLEEN KEANE
A New Mexico state police officer blocking the south entrance of the UNM Student Union last Friday night where Milo Yiannopoulos was speaking stares stone-faced while a protester shouts loudly at him. Protesters say Milo’s talks promote hatred and racism.