Protest at UNC stops ex-congressman's speech

WRAL.com ^ | April 15, 2009 | WRAL Staff

[NCDragon]

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Campus police used pepper spray on student protesters angry over immigration issues who disrupted a speech by former Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Hundreds of protesters denouncing Tancredo's tough stances against illegal immigration gathered at Bingham Hall on Tuesday evening, shouting profanities at the former Colorado congressman, who tried to speak about his opposition to in-state tuition for unauthorized immigrants.

Tancredo left after a protester broke a window and police shut down the event. He had been invited by a student group that opposes mass immigration and multiculturalism.

[Albion Wilde]

Thanks for the ping-out. I hope everyone will email or call the Chancellor. Info at post #32.

[ridesthemiles]

I have been reviewing a new place to live.

This just puts N Carolina completely off my list.

Too bad- I have paid all my taxes all my life.

[Verginius Rufus]

Rice is thought to have been domesticated in southern China thousands of years ago.

The UNC-Chapel Hill professors may be doing a bit of "keeping up with the Joneses"--after the stellar performance of the Duke faculty when the lacrosse players were falsely accused of rape, they've got to do something to show that they are progressives too.

[dirtboy]

About 200 protesters reconvened outside the building. "We shut him down; no racists in our town," they shouted. "Yes, racists, we will fight, we know where you sleep at night!

And to think the DHS treats conservatives as potential terrorists as liberals chant terroristic threats...

[Political Junkie Too]

Wait for these students to realize that they will graduate without a job because of illegal immigration and H-1B legal foreign workers taking their jobs.

-PJ

[lormand]

I have heard that North Easterners are flocking to NC and doing to NC what they did in the hell holes they fled.

I too have made good choices in my life. 5 years ago, I did my first stint as a contract employee, and paid my quarterly taxes in time, unlike Geitner. I guess Ivy League degrees are not all they advertise them as eh?

[stockpirate]

John Galt is inside each of us. But we need a George Washington, Hamilton or Franklin.

[alancarp]

They've been doing a great job of that for years. Our side absolutely SUCKS at countering them.

Yeah, because our side actually believes in abiding by the Rule of Law and common behavioral decency. [And particularly in this specific instance] The other side couldn't care less, so long as it gets its way.

[lwd]

Was the “Don’t Taze me, bro!” kid there?

[fieldmarshaldj]

Lost all respect for Judas Tancredo when he sold his soul to Slick Willard. I guess he forgot to tell the crowd he endorsed a Socialist fraud for President, they surely would’ve listened to him then.

[MitchellC]

Video at the link below, and Chancellor Thorpe's statement.

http://is.gd/sDYp

A tougher statement by Carolina chancellor

An e-mail from Chancellor Holden Thorp to the Carolina community this afternoon:

"I want to express how disappointed I am in what happened last night when former Congressman Tom Tancredo wasn't able to speak when a protest got out of hand, and our Department of Public Safety had to take action.Congressman Tancredo felt threatened and left without making his remarks. Mr. Tancredo was scheduled to speak about immigration. We expect protests about controversial subjects at Carolina. That's part of our culture. But we also pride ourselves on being a place where all points of view can be expressed and heard. There's a way to protest that respects free speech and allows people with opposing views to be heard. Here that's often meant that groups protesting a speaker have displayed signs or banners, silently expressing their opinions while the speaker had his or her say. That didn't happen last night.

"On behalf of our University community, I called Mr. Tancredo today to apologize for how he was treated. In addition, our Department of Public Safety is investigating this incident. They will pursue criminal charges if any are warranted. Our Division of Student Affairs is also investigating student involvement in the protest. If that investigation determines sufficient evidence, participating students could face Honor Court proceedings.

"Carolina's tradition of free speech is a fundamental part of what has made this place special for more than 200 years. Let's recommit ourselves to that ideal.

"Sincerely,

Holden Thorp

"This email is sponsored by: Office of the Chancellor"

http://blog.news-record.com/staff/offtherecord/archives/2009/04/a_tougher_state.shtml

[Albion Wilde]

Here's a follow-up article in The Daily Tar Heel, the campus newspaper. Even most of the leftists are condemning the actions of the protesters in the comments section.

[Albion Wilde]

Ping to posts 51 & 52....

[skeeter]

Not good enough. Tancredo should be invited back with a police escort and allowed to address the entire student body in the student union at high noon.

[Venturer]

I dont know how the Conservatives there kept from attacking those nuts. Not sure I could have.

[Albion Wilde]

I dont know how the Conservatives there kept from attacking those nuts. Not sure I could have.

Most of the kids probably came from the ultra-polite Southern aspiring professional class. They probably took one look at the protesters and said, "Why, bless their hearts!"

Seriously, though, it's never the conservatives who go in for civil disorder -- it's always the loony left. Conservatives always believe the right thing will be done, the commonsense thing, like that the police will restore order and ordinary decency. They are out of luck in today's ACLU-oppressed society.

[Albion Wilde]

Not good enough. Tancredo should be invited back with a police escort and allowed to address the entire student body in the student union at high noon.

Absolutely. Write to Chancellor Thorp and tell him so:

Click here for UNC-CH Chancellor's address and phone.

[smokingfrog]

poll-share-your-take-on-the-tom-tancredo-unc-protest

Interesting comments.

[Albion Wilde]

Thanks for that poll. FReeped it; and sent it to my friends in NC. I see the police are winning 80% to 20%. Unfortunately, the poll did not have a box to check for “the police did not go far enough in kicking some spoiled candy-asses.”

[MikeD]

Looks like not much has changed since the TKE fraternity and the Student Body President-to-be stole all of the pre-election copies of the Carolina Review back in 1996. Then, they had the audacity to sue the CR for using a campaign picture on their cover. Sigh.

Kudos to Chancellor Thorp for laying the smack down on the offenders. Threatening honor court & criminal charges is a much better reaction than some recent chancellors.