Students Protest Ben Shapiro's Speech at Boston University

A blending of hundreds of Boston University students and staff carrying signs, marched down Commonwealth Avenue to protest conservative commentator Ben Shapiro’s appearance on campus to give a speech, titled, “America Was Not Built on Slavery; It Was Built on Freedom.”

The protesters dressed in black, arms linked, calling out this 35-year-old Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief with a silent protest, which took place on Wednesday night.

“Neofascist and neo-Nazis like him should not have right to speak,” New England Refuse Fascism Spokesperson, Scott Gilbert said. “It’s hate speech.”

Asked specifically what Shapiro has said that he disagrees with, Gilbert described him as a “racist, misogynist and xenophobic” person, “All of them are crime.”

The speech was sponsored by the BU group, Young America’s Foundation. The chairwoman of the organization, Diana Sorina, said they are breaking the one-sided dialogue unprecedented way when having Shapiro on campus as their guest.

“It’s disgusting,” Gilbert said. “Would you allow Himmler, or would you allow Hitler to speak?”

Ben Shapiro lectured to a sold-out crowd of about 1,500 attendees under heavy security at the Track and Tennis Center in which the university has spent almost $13,000 to strengthen police officers, according to authorities.

“Thanks – I’m seriously – to the protesters who showed up outside, demonstrating again that the lecture I’m giving is almost pointless,” Shapiro began. “Because if America had been built on slavery, not freedom, you wouldn’t have literally hundreds of protesters outside exercising that First Amendment and freedom.”

Nearly half an hour before Shapiro’s speech was scheduled to begin, the protesters gathered across from the main door and broke out into chants “Racist, sexist, anti-gay! Ben Shapiro go away!”

Protest organizer Chance Charley argued that what they’re doing tonight was not attacking freedom of speech.

“Ben Shapiro owns a top-ranking podcast platform, asking him and asking the university to not allow him to speak at one venue is not affecting his right to free speech,” Charley said. “The second thing is that the right to free speech only applies to the government, and whether the government can censor you or not. BU as a private institution and is under no obligation to allow speakers.”

He went on to say he was born in a Mexican family, and when Shapiro talked about the concentration camps on the border are actually good thing, he felt received infringements.

“That’s direct attack on people I’m very close to,” Charley said. “But also, what he says is a direct on oppressed people everywhere.”

In the days leading up to Shapiro’s appearance, more than 2,000 people signed a petition online and decrying his arrival on campus.

“By inviting someone who denies their existence and actively spreads hate against them,” Charley noted. “It also shows that BU really doesn't care what students think, BU only cares about its own profits.”