You never know how things can change quickly…
A few weeks ago, the local Refuse Fascism chapter in Cleveland found out that Charlie Kirk, founder of the fascist group Turning Point USA, was going to be speaking at Cleveland State University. We were determined to oppose this intellectual hitman for the Trump/Pence Regime and fight for CSU to become a Fascist Free Zone.
A Message to Students from the Student Task Force of Refuse Fascism: No Nazis on Campus… NO NAZIS IN THE WHITE HOUSE!
To all the brave students standing up against the nazis today at University of Florida – this one’s for you! #SpencerAtUF #nov4itbegins pic.twitter.com/uT5GM4VdlT
— #NoFascistUSA (@RefuseFascism) October 19, 2017
We immediately called for a protest on facebook and made a flier that we distributed around campus, along with the call for Nov 4.
At first, the response was pretty tepid. CSU is not a very political or aroused campus, but we persisted, trying different ways to connect with students. As part of this, an older Black man we met off facebook travelled 45 minutes to join us at CSU to do a facebook live event about Refuse Fascsim, November 4, and the importance of protesting Charlie Kirk.
A few days later, vicious anti lgbtq+ posters were found around campus, coinciding with the opening of the new lgbtq center. The university president issued an insulting and dismissive statement, saying they couldn’t do anything about this becuase of the first amendment! Students Are Calling Out a University President for Defending Anti-LGBTQ Posters as Free Speech.
This created a firestorm of anger and militancy among students. Then, unexpectantly, a Christian fascist preacher came to campus with his big anti-abortion signs, panels about why women should be submissive, and more. The students went off! For hours, people were debating, arguing, yelling, observing on the quad.
Refuse Fascism was right in the midst of it, with our big panels: indicting the Trump/Pence Regime on Women and LGBTQ people and Women and LGBTQ people, and signing people up for Nov 4.
So back the the anti-LGBTQ flliers: The CSU president had to call for an open meeting to address the issue, and the questions of free speech vs hate speech became the issue of the day. The auditorium was packed, people couldn’t stay in their seats! Refuse Fascism linked this to the Nightmare of the Trump/Pence Regime, and how CSU was collaborating with fascism by having Charlie Kirk speak. We got out Nov 4 materials to everyone.
The next day, a couple hundred students came out to a rally to take this higher. Nothing like this has been seen at CSU for years and years.
A few hours after the rally, the Charlie Kirk protest started! There was a core of us from Refuse Fascism and a few others from Indivisible to start with. We had tons of signs and a loud bullhorn, and the media was all lined up (we had sent out a press release that morning). We immidiatly started agitating, others were passing out fliers and talking to the students passing by. Soon, more people came to join the protest, and more students were stopping to listen. Then a line of Turning Point members came to heckle. It was quite a scene. An older Black woman from the local Refuse Fascism steering committee gave an impassioned plea against hate, against the Trump/Pence Regime, and urging everyone to come out to Nov 4. Some young women students who were part of the protest over the lgbtq+ fliers joined us, held signs, and spoke over the bullhorn. Another person read from the Call for Nov 4. And there was lots of exposure of what Charlie Kirk and Turning Point actually stand for.
Then it was time to go in to the speech! Charlie Kirk was met with resistance from Refuse Fascism members and others. Many of his followers were confused by the outbursts and questions raised by the audience.