STUDENT TAKE: CSULA YAF Attends Angela Davis Lecture

When CSULA Young Americans for Freedom heard that Angela Davis was slated to speak on campus, they knew it was important to attend her lecture.

Martinez explained her chapter’s respect for free speech informed their decision to attend, commenting, “Although we did not agree with [Angela Davis’] presence, we agreed that it was her right and the students’ and faculty’s right to be able to assemble.” During the question and answer session, Martinez says, event organizers gave a “red light” to indicate the lecture had finished. Ana, along with fellow YAFer Storm Scully, headed towards the door. Suddenly, a Black Lives Matter activist began “verbally attacking” Storm, screaming “Get out! Get out!” Martinez explains, “I immediately went to Storm to try to get him out of the situation, but this girl refused to let us go. She then proceeded to scream ‘don’t record me, don’t record me’ and grabbed his phone and put it behind her back.” [pullquote]”I was escorted out along with laughter and vulgar things being shouted at me like “ racist,” “fascist,” and “you deserve it.”[/pullquote] After attempting to support Storm, Martinez found herself the target of this BLM activist’s attacks. “She immediately charged towards me, her hands literally inches away from my face and screaming to ‘Get the f*** out,'” Martinez remarked. She continued, “I had to take steps back to try to defend myself because she began to walk towards me, essentially pushing me to the side of the theater. Faculty, security, and adults were watching but no one stepped in to help me until I was by the exit.” “I was escorted out along with laughter and vulgar things being shouted at me like “ racist,” “fascist,” and “you deserve it.” Martinez told The New Guard that Storm was approached once again by the BLM activists who she says, “grabbed his phone and threw it across the stage.” In addition to this incident, CSULA YAF has dealt with constant harassment from administrators and professors, violent protests of their event with Ben Shapiro, and even censorship from their university president. What will it take for CSULA to foster an environment where conservatives are free to express their beliefs without the threat of being targeted?