The Brief
- Protesters outside the University of Minnesota’s Coffman Memorial Union gathered to oppose a speech given by conservative activist and former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines.
- University of Minnesota Students for a Democratic Society decried the university for “platforming her bigotry while hiding behind ‘political neutrality,’” but university officials say her speech was a student-organized event.
- A representative for Turning Point USA, a conservative activist organization with a chapter on the campus, said they are “used to petulant tantrums” when conservatives exercise free speech and added that the school “doesn’t belong” to those who are protesting.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Protesters are opposing what they say is “transphobic ideology” ahead of a speech from conservative activist Riley Gaines, which is set to happen inside Coffman Memorial Union on the University of Minnesota (U of M) Campus.
Protesters: ‘Transphobic ideology isn’t welcome’
What they’re saying:
The protest, organized by the University of Minnesota Students for a Democratic Society (UMNSDS), was aimed at supporting transgender people while denouncing the university’s decision to allow Gaines on campus.
A statement posted on the UMNSDS social media said the following about the planned protest while rallying for others to join:…