DePaul University has banned an event featuring Vice News co-founder Gavin McInnes over his repeated vows to fight back if attacked by protesters.
A May 30 DePaul College Republicans speaking engagement was torpedoed by the school president, the Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, on Wednesday. The move comes one year after he likened activists who derailed an event by Milo Yiannopoulos to Allied Forces who fought in France on June 6, 1944.
“After clashes outside his February event at New York University, McInnes told his followers: ’We’re the only ones fighting these guys and I want you to fight them, too. It’s fun. When they go low, go lower,’ ” Mr. Holtschneider said in an email obtained Thursday by the educational watchdog The College Fix.
Not specifically mentioned in the official’s email was the fact that Mr. McInnes was attacked by black bloc “anti-fascists” with pepper spray prior to his Feb. 2 speech. A college professor was also caught on video calling for the cops to beat up the Rebel Media pundit.
“This is not about the content of Mr. McInnes’ speech, but about his public endorsement of violence and the establishment of a military division of his own group, The Proud Boys,” the school official added.
DePaul’s College Republicans decried the decision on Facebook.
“In arguing that he supposedly endorsed violence, DePaul fails to acknowledge the threats surrounding that situation; indeed, rather than a call for violence, they were calls for self-defense,” the group said Wednesday.
Mr. McInnes told College Fix that DePaul officials are twisting his words to make him look violent.
“I’ve always told my sons, ’Don’t start fights, but if someone starts a fight, finish it,’ ” he told the website. “All dads used to tell their sons that. All Americans used to tell their sons that. Now it’s considered sedition to just stand up for yourself.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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