Ottawa: Wie sich die Redefreiheit gegen die feministischen Randalierer durchsetzte

Die Candadian Association for Equality hat ihren Bericht darüber online gestellt, wie feministische Agitatoren den Vortrag von Professorin Janice Fiamengo zum Thema Männerrechte an der Universität Ottawa durch lauten Krawall unmöglich machen wollten – und weshalb dieser Versuch scheiterte:

Friday, March 28 – University of Ottawa: No sooner have the introductions given way to our guest speaker than disruptions begin featuring hollering, trumpets, horns and other noise making devices popular among the anarchic types. CAFE’s Ruben Avila braves the storm and valiantly attempts to come to an agreement with opponents to show mutual respect and reserve their comments or questions to the end, when they will be welcomed and responded to. But to no avail. As Dr. Fiamengo tries a second time the same response ensues.

CAFE springs into action. With the resourcefulness and a sense of turning challenge into opportunity that is quickly becoming the organization’s hallmark, CAFE organizers and our University allies work with the amazing security team at U of O to setup a second room across the hall. Despite having waited 45 minutes nearly every one of the 100+ attendees wait dutifully and then march across as the event is officially moved. At the security-access door to the second venue guards and organizers ask each entering to abide by U of O policies which prohibit the disruption of sanctioned campus events. Those who had broken the policy at the previous venue were denied entry as each entered, single file, to watch the talk. Dr. Fiamengo resumed her remarks at about 8pm, finally delivering her talk to a full house. Protesters amass in a gang in the hallway just beyond the new venue, waiting for the event to end. Is there any irony, given all the ridiculous allegations that CAFE creates an “unsafe space” on campus (apparently leading to the bullying and harassment of students), that at U of O security was required to build a wall to protect us from the bullying and harassment of the protesters. In other words, our event was the safe space.

But that’s not the whole story. As the talk is coming to its end protesters, now having waited 45 minutes and frustrated by their failure to hijack or ruin the event, finally got around to the one desperate move still available to them. They pulled the fire alarm. This development followed almost immediately after the "gang" assured me that their actions did not violate any U of O policies. With the alarm’s electronic system having been broken security was unable to disable the alarm and we were then forced to evacuate the building. But as we waited outside for security to try to fix the problem, something amazing happened.

Hier geht es weiter.