UCLA Students Disrespect Free Speech with Latest Antics

Last week, student activists disrupted an event hosted by UCLA’s Federalist Society chapter featuring James Percival, General Counsel for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Percival was invited to discuss constitutional law, but protesters derailed the event from the outset with shouts and signs reading, “How’s Trump’s [expletive] taste?” and “[Expletive] You Loser.” So much for civil discourse.

While conservative speakers have faced campus opposition for decades, the intensity of these disruptions had seemingly dipped in recent years as activist focus shifted toward global conflicts. However, this latest incident proves that the “heckler’s veto” is alive and well.

Undaunted, Percival continued to soldier through the chaos. He later stated on The Will Cain Show that he felt obligated to “show up and take some abuse” as part of his professional duties as a government official. Video of the event captures approximately 150 students rising mid-event to hurl insults at attendees on their way out.

While student protesters have the right to express their views under the First Amendment, UCLA’s Administrative Policies and Procedures explicitly state that “protests may not be so disruptive as to silence the invited speaker from communicating with a willing audience.” That is exactly what occurred here. Unfortunately, the university’s response—essentially a “slap on the wrist”—will likely only encourage further violations of campus policy.

Speakers like Percival deserve better. The UCLA administration needs to show some backbone by enforcing its own policies and punishing those who violate them. Without meaningful consequences, the school is merely signaling that disruption, not debate, is the standard for engagement on its campus.