Students protest potential appointment of conservative president

University of Florida (UF) students responded negatively to an Oct. 6 announcement that Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) is the “sole finalist for consideration” for university president.

A petition rejecting Sasse’s potential appointment has garnered more than 1,000 signatures, arguing that his “political views…do not align with the values that the students at the University of Florida hold.”

“They are discriminatory and non-representative of our student population,” the petition reads.

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The petition was created by UF student Leyka Rumalla. It cites Sasse’s position on gay marriage, transgenderism, and illegal immigration as reasons to oppose his presidency.

“Senator Ben Sasse does a poor job of representing the student body at the University of Florida as his political viewpoints have proved to be discriminatory and harmful for many individuals,” it reads.

On Monday, nearly 300 protesters stormed Emerson Hall to protest Sasse during a Q&A forum, The Alligator reports.

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Protesters reportedly crowded the staircase outside the President’s Ballroom, where the forum was hosted, and slammed their fists on the doors. They reportedly entered the room and flooded the stage as Sasse departed, and chanted “get the f**k out of our swamp.”

Campus Reform reached out to the University of Florida, its Board of Trustees, Senator Sasse, and Rumalla for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.

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