As students enter the University Auditorium on Monday to hear Ben Shapiro speak, Nate Quinn will stand outside and protest.
Quinn, a UF psychology freshman, said the conservative political commentator’s hateful rhetoric inspired him to organize a demonstration against him.
On Wednesday, Quinn created a Facebook event page advertising his planned demonstration and posted fliers on Turlington Plaza.
“He’s rude and disrespectful,” the 19-year- old said. “He’s flat-out offensive to a lot of minority groups.”
Accent Speakers Bureau and the UF chapter of Young Americans for Freedom will pay Shapiro $20,000 for his 6 p.m. appearance, according to Alligator archives.
Protesters will chant and give out information about Shapiro’s hateful comments at the auditorium entrance facing Turlington Plaza, Quinn said.
So far, eight Facebook users — including Quinn — have marked ‘going’ on the protest’s Facebook page.
Quinn said Shapiro is anti-Black Lives Matter, anti-immigration, anti-Muslim and anti-transgender.
Gloria Li, a UF environmental science and philosophy sophomore, said although protesters may think UF is sponsoring Shapiro’s opinions, she doesn’t agree.
Li, 19, said although her political beliefs lean left, she will attend the event to hear what Shapiro says. She said she hopes the protest is peaceful.
“It would be an embarrassment to me as a student if violence happened,” she said.
Contact Jimena Tavel at jtavel@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @taveljimena
Ben Shapiro
