CUNY law students protest Josh Blackman as a ‘racist’ yelling ‘F’ the law’
Students at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law school heckled, protested and attempted to ridicule South Texas College of Law Houston (STCL) professor Josh Blackman, invited by CUNY’s Federalist Society chapter to give a speech on “The Importance of Free speech.”
Some protesters held posters proclaiming “conservative hate ≠ intellectual debate” and “Federalist Society is Racist. Josh Blackman is Racist.”
When Blackman entered the room, the protesters erupted, shouting “legal objectivity is a myth” and “he’s a white supremacist.”
Blackman recounted the events and incidents in an intense article for National Review: “…the president of the chapter wrote, ‘We passed out the flyers today (first day back from spring break) and a large number of students are already up in arms about the event.’ The Office of Student Affairs explained that ‘some enraged students, . . . apparently, are planning to protest.’ I asked why they were protesting. The president provided an explanation:
These students saw first, that this is a Federalist Society event; and second, they saw a few of your writings (specifically a National Review article praising Sessions for rescinding DACA and ACA), and instantly assume you’re racist; and third, our event being titled about free speech is reminiscent of events that claim free speech just to invite people like Milo Yiannopoulos and Ann Coulter.
Blackman continued:
A student shouted out “F**k the law.” This comment stunned me. I replied, “F**k the law? That’s a very odd thing. You are all in law school. And it is a bizarre thing to say f**k the law when you are in law school.” They all started to yell and shout over me.
Check out a video below.
Blackman believes that the students who protested his lecture view free speech as a cover of white supremacy, calling it an example of the sorry state of free speech on American college campuses.
“Sadly, this demonstration is representative of a broader movement,” said Blackman. “Students are free to peaceably protest, but they cannot interrupt or heckle speakers.”