Don’t give protesters power to price free speech out at UNM
Colleges and universities should be havens for free speech and the exchange of ideas. Especially controversial ideas. They should be places for people of all ages and backgrounds to experience the world beyond and grow in knowledge and maturity.
It should be expected for clashing views to draw protest. As long as those disagreements are peaceful and orderly, that is as it should be.
The University of New Mexico subscribes to this view, noting in its regents’ policy on free expression and advocacy that “Freedom of academic inquiry and freedom of expression are indispensable elements of a university.…” And a statement from UNM spokeswoman Dianne Anderson on Wednesday observed, “UNM’s policies encourage the exchange of diverse viewpoints, emphasizing that freedom of expression is central to our mission.”
But some UNM students and groups want to completely shut down a speaker whose past expressions they disagree with, denying him and the campus group that wants to bring him in their 1st Amendment rights.
On Thursday, protesters jammed the office of acting UNM President Chaouki Abdallah seeking an outright ban on a planned speech by Milo Yiannopoulos, a controversial tech writer for Breitbart News, a right-wing website. Yiannopoulos, who is gay, is scheduled to speak at the Student Union Building on Jan. 27 as part of a nationwide tour that he calls his “Dangerous Faggot Tour.”
Earlier this week, College Republicans, a UNM student group that is sponsoring the event, complained of being singled out by the university because of threats by the student group Red Nation to disrupt the speech. UNM recently informed the Republican group it should be prepared to pay an estimated $3,400 to cover extra security for event.
College Republicans, who say they would have trouble raising the money, are calling it a “free speech fee” and said it amounts to an attempt at censorship.
According to university policy, a group hosting an event is “responsible for security costs based on the number of police and/or security officers required and the length of event, program or rental.”
Anderson said both the College Republicans and an earlier sponsor of Yiannopoulos’ talk had been told they might have to pay a security fee. The campus police department determines the fee based on factors such as past history of attendee behavior, capacity of the venue, the number of entrances, whether bag checks are required and the level of security required. She says the university is treating the Yiannopoulos event the same way it treats all student-group sponsored events on campus.
But the College Democrats/Hillary for President were charged just $649 for an outdoor Bernie Sanders speech that drew about 2,000 people.
Yiannopoulos is sure to draw fire. Protesters managed to force cancellation of a recent speech at the University of California at Davis.
Red Nation, a UNM group, has announced plans to “deny Milo a platform at UNM by taking the room, the stage, and the mic.”
University law enforcement officials say safety and security of students, staff, faculty and UNM property are their primary concerns. The police department has an annual budget of just under $3 million and 40 sworn personnel including command staff to cover a 24/7 operation. But it still wants to charge $3,400 for security for this event? Perhaps it should consider staffing up when it determines extra measures are necessary in order to protect both safety and free speech rights.
It’s a delicate balance, but without some consideration for the 1st Amendment, all a censorship-minded group has to do to shut down an event is simply price opposing viewpoints out by announcing plans for a large or violent protest — and there is no way to take over “the room, the stage, and the mic” without using intimidation, bullying or violence.
So under this policy, the bigger the threat by protesters the higher the cost for the speaker.
UNM needs to find that balance, because if you can’t express ideas on a university campus, where can you?