Students at UNC deny former Congressman Tancredo free speech

April 16, 11:41 AMBaltimore Republican ExaminerSean O'Donnell

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    (Photo/University of North Carolina)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Former Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) was at the University of North Carolina Tuesday, where he was scheduled to speak to students about illegal immigration and in-state tuition. As he began speaking, several students interrupted and made sure Tancredo would not be able to exercise his right of free speech.

Instead of listening to what Tancredo had to say and discussing it respectfully, shouts and insults from some students rang out in the classroom directed at Tancredo. “Racist!” – one student shouted. Another student called the former Republican Congressman a “white supremacist piece of sh*t!”

The verbal assault on Tancredo stemmed from his firmly held political beliefs against illegal immigration and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.

In a calm and joking manner, Tancredo said to the class, “this is the free speech crowd right?” He later called the protestors “intellectually bankrupt.”

“No dialogue with hate!” echoed throughout the classroom and two students unfurled a banned in front of Tancredo ending his planned discussion before it began.

UNC student Arian Lopez of the Carolina Hispanic Organization did not approve of the protestors’ actions.

I feel very embarrassed about how the student body went about doing this. It got completely out of control. – Adrian Lopez, UNC sophomore

Outside of the classroom police were forced to use pepper spray and tasers to control the unruly crowd. A protestor also broke a classroom window after Tancredo briefly spoke until he was forced to stop again.

About the incident Tuesday, Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee (ALIPAC) President William Gheen stated: “The hatred and intolerance behind the broken glass in this room is the same human emotion behind bricks [thrown] through the windows of black churches and Jewish store fronts.”

President of the student group who invited Tancredo, Riley Matheson of Youth for Western Civilization, was also disappointed about the protest, “I’ve lost faith in this campus.”

There were no arrests during the protest, but investigations are underway concerning the actions of both protestors and police.

The university apologized for the incident and may charge some students in the school’s Honor Court.

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