MINNEAPOLIS — Protesters gathered outside on West Bank of the University of Minnesota campus as conservative activist, Lauren Southern arrived on campus for a speaking engagement.
Southern, a Canadian activist, journalist, and YouTube sensation, has been compared to other politically-right figures such as Tomi Lahren and Milo Yiannopoulos.
Students for a Conservative Voice and Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) invited Southern to speak on campus using student association fees to pay for the event.
Approximately 200 to 250 members of Antifa gathered outside of Wiley Hall after a call for action on the website “It’s Going Down.”
“It’s encouraged that you do not arrive alone. Come with a close friend or better yet an affinity group,” some friendly neighborhood anti-fascists write. “Take steps to protect your identity from the State and the expected presence of alt-right and alt-lite livestreamers who will surely be taking video footage to single people out for doxxing after the dust settles. This can mean any number of things from altering your appearance to covering your face. Use what makes you feel the most comfortable and more importantly, safe.”
According to the Pioneer Press, police used chemical irritants on three separate occasions to break up fights that occurred in the crowd outside.
Brittany Paige Cusiack, 21, was arrested by police for allegedly causing a disturbance. The Pioneer Press reports she was wearing a black mask at the time of her arrest.
On social media, Southern seemed to be unfazed by all of the protesting outside. From inside the lecture hall, Southern tweeted out that attendees had, “survived the shrieking commies outside.”
😀 they all survived the shrieking commies outside. pic.twitter.com/3KI9bf327k
— Lauren Southern (@Lauren_Southern) October 26, 2017
In another tweet Southern writes, “Swat team called in so I could show pictures of fat feminists.”
Swat team called in so I could show pictures of fat feminists 🙃
— Lauren Southern (@Lauren_Southern) October 26, 2017
This isn’t the first time the University of Minnesota has experienced protesters at speaking events for conservative personalities.
In 2016, Alpha News captured the moments when protestors snuck into a lecture hall on campus to disturb Milo Yiannopoulos and Christina Hoff Sommers. In 2014, protesters stood outside of Northrop Auditorium to protest a lecture by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Preya Samsundar
Preya Samsundar was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. She graduated from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities this Spring with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, with a minor in Strategic Communications. Preya has previously worked on several State Campaign Races.
