Towson University moves ‘No Kings’ protest to avoid speaker background checks
A ‘No Kings’ rally was moved from Towson University to an off-campus location to avoid background check requirements implemented by the school.
Protesters claimed that the school targeted their free speech rights, but background checks are required for all campus events.
A protest over the Trump administration’s immigration policy was moved off-campus due to concerns about speakers’ background checks.
Towson University relocated its “No Kings” protest after a school official informed organizers that speakers at the event would be vetted through federal databases to ensure campus safety in the wake of recent political violence.
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Members of the school’s Young Democratic Socialists of America claimed that the university had not enforced such a policy for past events, according to The Baltimore Banner.
The move was also decried by a Maryland ACLU lawyer, who said it would have “an obvious chilling effect on speech.”
The school pushed back, noting that the background checks are standard practice and that it takes public safety seriously.
Vice President of Media Relations Jamie Abell said that the university runs checks on “all events on campus regardless of their content” and that campus police perform them “on all external speakers, entertainers, singers, etc. to determine level of security needed for each event.”
The school also noted its obligation to both “the First Amendment and to the priority of public safety,” but said that, given the size of the event, it rose “above the threshold to initiate such security measures.”
Ryan Harvey, a musician who spoke at the event, criticized former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, whom he remarked “owned 600 people,” while also taking aim at the current administration’s policies in a video posted to the YDSA Instagram account.
Towson was not the only school to stage such a protest this weekend. Penn State University saw 1,500 protesters congregate on campus and march through the downtown State College area demonstrating against Trump.
All relevant parties have been contacted for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
