Here is the latest from the event at DePaul University where Robert Spencer is speaking tonight for Islamofascism Awareness Week.
Michael Kadela sends this from the DePaul campus:
DePaul. I snapped some photos before class of where Spencer would be speaking. Class was let out early, and so I was delighted that I would be able to attend at least some of the event. I showed up at 8. It was cold and raining. There was a small group of students and whoever hovering outside the door. They told me that they had been told that “maximum capacity” had been reached and that there was no more room. I got the sense that these folks were there more in the spirit of protest than support - one of them voiced some concerns about Blackwater not being held accountable, etc. In any event, I was also told that there was another speaker before Spencer and that Spencer was late.
Now I have been in this building before and it can easily and legally hold at least 100 people - this is a conservative estimate. I had no way of getting in and no way of photographing the inside of the building - the windows are too high. I did, however, snap some photos of the exterior while the talk was going on.
If you go to depaul.edu and hit the “EVENTS” link at the top and look at the “today” page, you will find that there are absolutely no events officially scheduled. I did a screen grab of this nonsense and have also attached it hereto.
Nothing-Nada. There are no listings for Robert Spencer’s talk in the university directory.These people may have very well been disruptive if allowed entrance -however, so what? They let Nick Hahn in for Churchill, they should let the moonbats in for Spencer. It is possible that the commons was actually completely full, I suppose, but you can see it’s a pretty big building and the ostracized group is pretty small. I don’t know if there’s a story in any of this. The screengrab is probably the most telling image of all.
We will keep you posted on DePaul.
This is cross posted at Gateway Pundit.
UPDATE: Freedom Folks have photos and video from the event at DePaul.
The Keffiyah was a popular choice for the crowd members.
Robert Spencer and Amir Fakhravar, an Iranian dissident who was jailed numerous times in Iran spoke to the packed house.
Thanks to Dinah Lord
3 responses so far ↓
1 Allan Sluis // Oct 23, 2007 at 8:37 am
A FASCInating scenario. Glad that they “reached capacity” for Spencer’s talk and I do agree with Mike that they should have allowed the potential protesters inside. Kinda dissapointing that DePaul didn’t list the event- deliberately or not.
Looking forward to the next update from DePaul.
2 Michael Kadela // Oct 23, 2007 at 7:41 pm
I should like to add that I find it highly unlikely those waiting for entry would have been disruptive - they were a small group, waiting patiently and quietly in the freezing rain. My guess is that had they been able to gain entry, they would have been courteous and respectful audience members. My point was that even had they been disruptive, what of it? When in doubt, always err on the side of keeping things interesting. The alternative, of course, is keeping things boring.
I have also heard that the venue was, indeed, completely full - and without any official promotion. This bodes well for the future.
3 Sal // Oct 24, 2007 at 2:06 pm
I got there a little before 7pm and security told me they were filled up. When I was waiting outside most people were Spencer supporters. In fact there was an older gentleman and student engaged in a shouting match. The student was accusing the older man of being a Zionist. The old man’s response was “what’s wrong with Zionism?” He proudly claimed he was a Zionist and he supported the notion of a Jewish homeland. The student was fuming and would have jumped on the old man if there was no security.
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