A scheduled Tuesday night speech by Milo Yiannopoulos at the University of Central Florida (UCF) was canceled after Orlando police warned they didn’t have the resources needed to guarantee safety.
Yiannopoulos’s speech, quickly organized by the College Republicans following Sunday’s mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub, was going to be on the topic of Islam and homosexuality. Just hours after the Pulse nightclub shooting, Yiannopoulos, who is gay, wrote an article for Breitbart accusing liberals of prioritizing Islam over gay rights and are thus responsible for the shooting.
Yiannopoulos has appeared on campuses around the country as part of his “Dangerous Faggot Tour,” and these appearances have frequently sparked major protests. Three weeks ago, at DePaul University, Black Lives Matter activists derailed the entire event and the situation nearly became a full-blown riot.
Given Yiannopoulo’s penchant for whipping up opposition, police told organizers they could not guarantee security for the event. Police are also providing security to a large vigil Tuesday night elsewhere on campus, and didn’t have the resources to cover both events adequately, according to UCF’s College Republicans.
Yiannopoulos announced the cancellation in a series of tweets in which he also promised to hold a press conference Wednesday. If police are unable to cover the press conference, Yiannopoulos says, then he will simply hire private security.
1/ Update: my talk tonight has been cancelled by UCF PD. They cannot guarantee my safety or that of our guests.
— Milo Yiannopoulos ✘ (@Nero) June 14, 2016
2/ We are arranging a press conference for TOMORROW here in Orlando. I will be delivering my speech then.
— Milo Yiannopoulos ✘ (@Nero) June 14, 2016
3/ If local police can’t provide protection, we will supply our own private security for me and any journalists and guests who attend.
— Milo Yiannopoulos ✘ (@Nero) June 14, 2016
4/ Media who would like to attend the press conference, please contact my tour manager Tim Treadstone, tim@yiannopoulos.net.
— Milo Yiannopoulos ✘ (@Nero) June 14, 2016
5/ I will not be intimidated by threats made against me made on social media and elsewhere. The press conference will go ahead tomorrow.
— Milo Yiannopoulos ✘ (@Nero) June 14, 2016
6/ This is America. Islamist thugs will not stop a gay man from expressing his views. More soon. I’m contactable at milo@yiannopoulos.net.
— Milo Yiannopoulos ✘ (@Nero) June 14, 2016
Despite Yiannopoulos’ rhetoric, it is not clear that any credible Islamic threats have been made against his planned speech.
UCF had a student killed during the Pulse nightclub shooting, and a few students think Yiannopoulos showing up so soon after the attack is both risky and in poor taste.
“At a time like this when everyone’s emotions are so raw and volatile, bad things can happen if enough people get angered. I don’t want there to be a riot,” student Russ Campbell told The Tab.
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