Conservative speakers Michael Cernovich, Tommy Robinson to address Columbia University students
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mike Cernovich is set to speak at Columbia University later this semester. (Reuters)
Despite a growing culture of campus outrage directed at right-leaning guests, Columbia University has decided to open its doors to just such speakers this semester.
The university’s Republican student group invited political blogger Mike Cernovich and Tommy Robinson, founder of the English Defense League, to speak later this semester.
The group will announce each appearance date two weeks before it's scheduled to take place, citing security reasons.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}English Defense League founder Tommy Robinson, center, has been invited to speak at Columbia University later this school year. (Reuters)
“[Columbia University College Republicans] is hosting a wide variety of speakers that identify as part of the Republican Party or the right,” the group said in a statement to Fox News. “We will host speakers that agree and disagree with Trump; we do not want to limit ourselves and the values that we will discuss.”
It continued: “Our club wants to have a conversation regarding the ideas of our speakers by learning about them, questioning them, and ultimately challenging them on their beliefs.”
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The group said college is an opportunity to grow and be challenged by different ideologies, philosophies and values.
“We do hope that the University will make sure that our speech is not limited or restricted. At the end of the day, we would like to have these conversations with students unlike ourselves, so we can learn better about their values and ourselves,” the statement said.
The group’s president Ari Boosalis is set to appear on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” at 8 p.m. Thursday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Attempts to reach Cernovich and Robinson were not immediately successful. The university also did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
In a statement to CBS2, the university said: “We welcome all speakers invited by our student groups as long as we can ensure that the event will be orderly and safe.”
This is not the first time Columbia University has welcomed right-wing speakers to campus. In March, about a dozen students protested an appearance by conservative social theorist Charles Murray and a handful turned up when right-wing author Dinesh D’Souza spoke during the spring.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Other controversial speakers have also graced the university. Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for instance, spoke in 2007.
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Some students told CBS2 it was “incredibly insensitive” to minority students to invite "white supremacists" on campus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The university’s Democrat student group said they believe it’s a stunt.
“There are more important and valuable, intellectual conservative leaders that they could have brought to campus, but instead they’ve chosen to bring provocateurs. The whole point of this charade is to have attention,” they told the news station.