NYU cancels Federalist Society event with Ilya Shapiro over fears of pro-Palestine protests
NYU Law School canceled a Federalist Society talk by Ilya Shapiro after administrators cited security risks tied to potential pro-Palestine protests on the anniversary of Oct. 7.
The group now plans to host Shapiro off-campus.
New York University (NYU) Law School canceled a Federalist Society event featuring conservative legal scholar Ilya Shapiro, citing concerns over protests tied to the anniversary of Oct. 7, 2023, the day of Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel.
In a Sept. 10 email to student organizers, law school administrator Penelope Fernandes asked if the event could be moved, according to The Washington Free Beacon.
“For security reasons,” Fernandes wrote, “and because we anticipate an increased likelihood of demonstrations and protests connected to the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 incidents in Gaza, would it be possible to host Mr. Shapiro on another date?”
The Federalist Society agreed to change the event’s location but insisted on keeping the Oct. 7 date, saying that moving it would mean “giving in to the heckler’s veto.” Soon, the law school informed students that the event could not go forward at all, citing resource and staffing constraints. The Federalist Society now plans to host Shapiro off campus.
“There could not be a more on-the-nose example of weak university officials in the face of a heckler’s veto than this farce,” Shapiro said about the incident.
Ilya Shapiro is a senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, a former Cato Institute vice president, and the author of several books, according to a profile online.
A prolific commentator and legal scholar, he has testified before Congress, filed over 500 Supreme Court briefs, taught at multiple law schools, and frequently speaks and writes on constitutional law, free speech, and judicial politics.
Campus Reform has previously reported on other incidents of anti-Semitism on NYU’s campus.
For instance, NYU joined several top schools, including Harvard University and Columbia University, in co-sponsoring an Aug. 14 virtual event featuring Palestinian activist Sami Al-Arian, who in 2006 pleaded guilty to conspiring with the U.S.-designated terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The event, “Teaching Palestine Today: On Zionism,” drew criticism given Al-Arian’s past conviction for aiding PIJ, which has carried out deadly attacks, including participation in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 assault.
Additionally, NYU has promoted a mid-October campus screening of No Other Land, a documentary by Palestinian activist Basel Adra, on one of its school websites.
NYU describes the film as “an unflinching account” of community displacement under Israeli occupation. The event, organized by student groups at the school, is open to NYU affiliates and encourages donations to support Adra’s cause.
Campus Reform has contacted New York University and NYU’s chapter of the Federalist Society for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
