Horowitz Booed Off Stage by Atlanta Peace Activists - Awesome Footage

[peacetheonlyway]

Run time: 00:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sthedrummer   Posted on YouTube: January 01, 1970 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: October 27, 2007 By DU Member: peacetheonlyway Views on DU: 3792

 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRgPKAglmzc

Here's our report on the Horowitz event. Please send feedback, corrections, additions, etc. Check out his blog at frontpagemag.com, also links to photos and video. A bit of a different take on things, as expected.


Report on David Horowitz Speaking Event at Emory University October 24th

David Horowitz stopped his own speech mid-way through his event at Emory University, and in typical fashion is claiming to be the victim of the “fascist left.” The headline on IncorrectU.com is already screaming “Leftists Force Horowitz from Stage – Shut Down Free Speech at Emory!!!” Let’s be honest: he walked off the stage himself and decided not to return, due to the overwhelming opposition being expressed in the auditorium.

Tuesday’s edition of the Emory Wheel published a half-page ad announcing Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week and inviting the public to attend David Horowitz’s speech Wednesday night. In a previous edition of the Wheel, College Republicans stated that they hadn’t invited Horowitz to speak at Emory, but he had actually invited himself.

When people arrived at the auditorium, there were flyers and orange armbands being passed out, but many people had already gotten flyers earlier in the week on campus and were already wearing orange. Some people also wore green based on the Facebook campaign to show solidarity with Muslims that day. The College Republicans had a table at the entrance and were informing people that if they wanted to ask questions, they were to write them down on index cards and turn them in - that people would not be allowed to directly pose questions after the speech.

The lecture hall was filled with at least 200 people, about 80% of whom were in opposition to Horowitz. Most were wearing orange armbands, creating a visible presence of opposition in the room. A member of Veterans for Peace had 2 large posters with pictures of Iraqi children killed by the U.S. war and occupation. A couple of other people had posters, one saying “Dissent Free Zone, Brought to You by David Horowitz,” and another with pictures from Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo with the caption, “Islamo-Fascism??” The crowd was a mix of mostly undergraduate and graduate students from Emory with some from other colleges, faculty, political activists, Black Muslims from a local Mosque, and the general public. There was a large presence of Muslim students.

When Horowitz came onto the stage, he was met with a combination of applause and loud booing. As he started his speech, several people sequentially stood up and turned their backs to the speaker. Signs pinned on their backs had the international no symbol over the words IFAW. As he continued his speech, different people in the audience interjected questions and corrections. More people stood up and turned their backs, and this emboldened others in the audience to continue to challenge Horowitz as he spoke. Horowitz was visibly taken aback by the opposition and stopped his speech several times, having difficulty getting back on track. His retorts to the audience consisted of childish name calling, disparaging the IQ of the audience. Some people in the crowd vocally opposed the disruptions and called for silence.

This went on for about 20 minutes, at which point there were about 25 people standing with their backs turned. The campus security then stopped the program and announced that if people didn’t sit down or move to the back of the auditorium, they would be escorted out. At that point, one person shouted “Everyone stand up – they can’t haul us all out!” Others echoed the same sentiment, and several people said, “Don’t Taser Me, Bro.” About 20 or 30 more people stood up and turned their backs. This created a lot of turmoil and heated discussion throughout the room. During this period, Horowitz walked off the stage. A chant broke out, “Racist, Sexist, Anti-Gay, David Horowitz Go Away.” After a few minutes, a College Republican came on stage and announced that David Horowitz decided that he would not continue his speech, and they ended the event.

Horowitz could have continued despite the vocal opposition, as other speakers on the IFAW tour apparently have done this week under similar circumstances. It was clear that the majority of the audience was determined to continue interacting with him throughout his speech, since there was not going to be an open question and answer period at the end.

Many small group debates broke out at that point, with the main question being whether it was good or bad that people weren’t able to hear Horowitz’s entire speech. People with a deep understanding of who Horowitz is and his agenda of playing the victim while organizing attacks on dissent and critical thinking on campuses, creating a pogromist atmosphere against Muslims, and preparing the groundwork for war on Iran, argued that it was crucial to expose his lies and demand that he answer to what the United States is doing to people here and around the world. Others, while opposed to Horowitz’s position, argued that they still had wanted to hear what he had to say in person, and were very upset that they were prevented from doing so. Some thought that his right to free speech had been violated, and that this would taint Emory’s reputation. Others were overjoyed and inspired by the strength of the opposition.

In one group discussion, someone summed up that “I think what happened was fine, because if Horowitz continued his speech he would have told more lies, selectively chosen the questions to answer, and then instead of this controversy, people would have been outside in the hallway complaining about the fact that their voices weren’t heard.”

David Horowitz’s immediate blog on Frontpagemag.com concluded, “Universities like Emory are paying the price of not taking care of the important task of establishing a campus decorum appropriate to civilized discussion. As I have said many times, there should be zero tolerance for disrupters at campus events, and that means a sufficient police presence to eject the barbarians when they enter the gates.”

Just as with everything David Horowitz puts out, this statement must be critically dissected. There are 3 things to say about this:

The required “campus decorum for civilized discussion,” in the world according to Horowitz, includes free reign for his claims that Blacks owe a debt to white America for slavery and that the Muslim Student Association is a front for Islamo-Fascist Jihad; Ann Coulter’s statements that in the “war on terror” we should “invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity;” and Rick Santorum’s calls to eliminate birth control and keep women out of the workforce. And of course, “civilized discussion” cannot include critiques of the official history of this country and its current role in the world, or Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians…as expressed by Ward Churchill and Norm Finkelstein or any of the other “dangerous” professors targeted for removal from their universities.
The policy of “zero tolerance for disrupters,” in the world according to Horowitz, does not extend to College Republicans who answer his call to sit in at Women’s Studies departments during IFAW.
“Sufficient police presence to eject the barbarians when they enter the gates” amounts to nothing less than a call for pre-emptive police powers to clamp down on any potential dissent.

[Puglover]

1. The vid

says "No longer availble".

[peacetheonlyway]

3. I pasted wrong link and don't know how to edit the video link so try this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRgPKAglmzc

sorry

[peacetheonlyway]

2. Here is Working Video Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRgPKAglmzc

[rodeodance]

4. good for the students.

[peacetheonlyway]

5. It was an awesome win for the Activist Commnity to shut down the Iran War Mongers

Ann Coulter are being paid by the Bush administration to drum up war with Iran.

the airstrikes against the kurds yesterday was the beginning of WW3. I love that woman 'Be afraid, be very afraid" of the likes of horowitz, bush, cheney, and all the criminals illegally running our government.

[wtmusic]

54. The message Horowitz's supporters take away from that speech

is that those who disagree with him have to resort to desperate measures to stop him. "Maybe he's got a point...maybe I should find out more..."

Shut him down? Hardly. He got some of the best publicity he's ever had.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

6. K&R Well worth the time to view, Thank You.

Loved the woman with the "Be AFRAID!" ooga booga. And when the guy asked everyone to sit down or be Physically removed, half of those still sitting, stood Up. LOL.

[hlthe2b]

7. thanks for this detailed report, peace....

Question: did the Young Republicans invite him or not? They are saying he "invited himself." So, who paid for him to come? Do you know? How does one "invite themselves" to a campus where major setup would be required to host an event.

While I imagine the YR on campus should be feeling a bit defensive, if they are "classical" bullying Repugs, perhaps they do not. What has been their response?

Thanks again for the report. I, for one and proud of Emory.

[Mist]

9. I thought the YRs were just sleazing out of admitting they invited him. I've never

heard of "inviting yourself" to speak in a venue that needs to be booked.

[peacetheonlyway]

14. HE INVITED Himself

and was hosted by young repuuublicans ,, no money changed hands is what I heard

[hlthe2b]

19. So are his YR defensive about his coming or defiant?

[rAVES]

8. Fox: "even the police couldnt subdue the crowd"

Says it all really...

[Gregorian]

22. Those damned LIBERALS!

They made it overly clear that it was all about those damned LIBERALS at a liberal university.

Fox Noise. So pathetic.

Yes, isn't it funny how we didn't boo the president of Iran, but we did boo Horowitz. WE'RE TRYING TO STOP A WAR, YOU IDIOTS. It's like they just seem to miss the whole point. We don't want war.

[Buzz Clik]

10. Man, am I torn on this one.

People with a deep understanding of who Horowitz is and his agenda of playing the victim while organizing attacks on dissent and critical thinking on campuses, creating a pogromist atmosphere against Muslims, and preparing the groundwork for war on Iran, argued that it was crucial to expose his lies and demand that he answer to what the United States is doing to people here and around the world. Others, while opposed to Horowitz’s position, argued that they still had wanted to hear what he had to say in person, and were very upset that they were prevented from doing so. Some thought that his right to free speech had been violated, and that this would taint Emory’s reputation. Others were overjoyed and inspired by the strength of the opposition.

Yep, that sums it all up for me. Horowitz is a lying, manipulative sonofabitch. I despise everything he represents. However, he has the right to speak. Unfortunately, his speech is always filled with hate and lies. Half of me supports the protesters, half of me would have been highly annoyed at having his speech disrupted.

The deal is, Horowitz, when the title of your speech contains a horrid, hate-filled reference, you can expect trouble.

[wtmusic]

12. Agree, Buzz Clik. Free speech means any opinion.

We don't do our cause any favors when we shut someone down. That will bite us in the ass.

[peacetheonlyway]

15. dopping a bomb on iran will bite us in the ass

there comes a time when our right to free speech and to shut down the war mongers is a fair fight.

it's a fair fight to shut down a man who is beating the drums to spend more of my tax dollars dropping a bomb on iran and getting college kids hyped on lies.

it's a fair fair fight to shut this man up by not cooperating with his lies.

the peace protesters were very within their right to turn their backs and yell at his lies
.


this is free speech my friend and I"m sorry if you don't agree.

these people standing up are american heroes. want them by my side when homeland security comes to get me.

[wtmusic]

43. So there is a time when shutting you down is a fair fight?

Just want to make sure the playing field is level here.

[peacetheonlyway]

20. THe Young republicans WOULD NOT allow an unstructured question and answer

that's why the peace community decided to disrupt.

had the YR' of emory campus allowed free speech, the disruptors would not have yelled out1!

free speech is NOT HaVING CONTROLLD cherry picked people to ask controlled questions. that's not free speech mind you. emory should be embarrrassed to have a public forum and not invite the public to ask questions.

[Warren Stupidity]

24. So Horowitz has more free speech rights than the audience?

How does that work?

[Buzz Clik]

30. In a civilized dialog, free speech is not a simultaneous screaming match.

The beauty of free speech is allowing your opponent to have the floor and make a total ass of himself. When it is your turn to speak, you help point that out.

[Warren Stupidity]

34. You are confusing 'polite dialog' and 'free speech'.

They are not related. One is a constitutionally protected right from government interference in expression. The other is an issue of propriety, of how one should behave in a civil society.

So, about the issue of civility: there was no dialog here. Read up on the format. All questions were to be submitted to the organizers in writing before the hate-mongering Horowitz spoke. The audience was not going to be given a chance to have their say. In some other situation a polite dialog with this vile person might have been appropriate, not so in this situation.

[Buzz Clik]

36. You know exactly where I'm coming from, but you've chosen to take this approach.

Go for it. I've stated my opinion, and your straining gnats does nothing but demonstrate your complete unwillingness to hear a word from the "other side".**

=================
** Note that in this case, the "other side" is merely someone uncomfortable with justifying uncivilized behavior because we don't like the rules.

[Warren Stupidity]

38. Horowitz's Islamo Fascism Awareness Week

and "civilized behavior" are impossible to reconcile. That vile man is working on getting another war going so that we can murder another 1,000,000 muslims. Within the context of this event the only civilized behavior was performed by those who were standing with their backs to Horowitz, and with those who rose in solidarity when these brave warriors for civility were threatened with expulsion.

[Bjorn Against]

25. No one was shutting him down...

He was speaking and got in his opinions and the protesters got in theirs. There was a debate going on until the guy warned the protestors that they would be physically removed if they did not sit down. They were trying to drown out the protester's voices and the protesters responded by making their voices louder. It must be noted though that it David Horowitz was able to talk and respond to the dissenting opinions up until the point that there was an attempt to silence the dissenting opinions. No one was restricting Horowitz's right to speak, they just weren't going to let him speak without a response.

[wtmusic]

42. One problem: it wasn't a debate

It was a speech. No one was invited to shout their opinion from the audience. That's called "disruption".

[Bjorn Against]

45. You shouldn't have to be invited to speak in America

A person like Horowitz deserves to be disrupted.

[wtmusic]

46. So when they believe you deserve to be disrupted

that's OK too? Just want to make sure we're not assigning special rights to special citizens.

[Bjorn Against]

49. Most of the time they won't even give me a platform to speak from like they did Horowitz

I have been disrupted by counter protesters at demonstrations though, and while I did not agree with what they were doing I fully supported their right to do it even if I thought they were idiots.

[wtmusic]

53. And this "disruption" caused you to stop what you were doing?

Shouting matches are not debates and serve no purpose whatsoever. If anything, the misguided actions of the crowd at Emory hardened the resolve of Horowitz's supporters.

[Bjorn Against]

55. No, and they didn't stop Horowitz either until they attempted to shut the protestors up

Horowitz was able to respond to them up until the point that they threatened to kick the protesters, their attempt to silence the protesters made the protesters voices louder. What you seem to be suggesting is that Horowitz had the right to speak without challenge. Because all the questions had to be pre-screened there would have been no opposing viewpoints allowed had the protesters not done what they did. If they would have allowed an open dialogue from the beginning then maybe he wouldn't have been drowned out by the protesters and both sides could have been heard. But the attempts to limit one side's speech resulted in that side refusing to be silenced.

[wtmusic]

57. You are wrong. Emory has the right to set the rules.

A private institution like Emory is entitled to have whatever speakers they want say whatever they want, as well as set the rules for how they say it.

If you see Horowitz shouting on a street corner you are entitled to go and try to shout louder than him, although you will not accomplish anything by doing so.

[Warren Stupidity]

23. His right of free speech was not impaired.

Your right to free speech is the right to be free from government interference in expressing your views. There is no right to not be shouted down by an audience that thinks what you have to say is abhorrent.

[Buzz Clik]

31. To those who wish to hear the speaker have the right to hear?

Do they get nothing in terms of respect for their wishes?

And, next time Hillary speaks in a public forum, what will our reaction be if the Young Republicans drown her out?

I have Horowitz and his message. I thought the protesters were totally cool for standing in opposition. But the chaos that ensued because of their disruption ... do we really want to endorse that?

[Warren Stupidity]

33. There is no 'right to hear'.

Please show me the section of the bill of rights that cites a 'right to hear'.

The owners of the theater had private property rights that they could have exercised to do whatever they chose to do (within the law) with respect to audience behavior. There simply is no free speech issue unless and until the government gets involved.

[Buzz Clik]

35. Oh, horseshit.

Are you going to pull this crap of "if it is not in the Constitution, it does not exist?"

I don't believe that there is anything in the Constitution about not polluting the air, but it most certainly is illegal.

I'll laugh my ass off this first time some leftwing icon is drummed off the stage simply because some knuckledraggers don't like the message. You'll be pissing and moaning and bitching about "freedom of speech."

[Warren Stupidity]

37. Is that an example of your "In a civilized dialog" thing?

There is no right to hear. Not in the constitution, not in the natural rights of man. Freedom of speech, as I have noted over and over here, is a specific constraint against the state, not against your fellow citizen. If you go out in public saying hateful things and the great unwashed mob shouts you down, too bad. Your rights have not been violated, nor have the rights of those who came to listen but could not hear.

By the way, having watched the video, Horowitz chose to not continue. The questions from the audience did not drown him out, he simply chose to get upset. He could have continued his monologue.

If you find me pissing and moaning and bitching about "freedom of speech" when some leftwing icon suffers a similar fate, please be sure to point out my hypocrisy. It won't happen. I might not like what went on, but I will not make a false argument about free speech.

[ikojo]

48. Let's pose a hypothetical here....The YR's of Emory

invite David Duke to speak during European American History month (which in this hypothetical situation takes place in February)...should HE not be disrupted by any means necessary?

I say DIRECT ACTION GETS THE GOODS...

Middle class nice is what has gotten us into the quagmire that is Iraq and Afghanistan. No more middle class nice.

It seems the alternative non corporate media point of view is given the light of day only through the type of direct action as engaged by Code Pink and the people at Emory University.


Did ANYONE NOT hear the FORMER reporter for Newsweek at the very end? Fast forward to the end of the video and LISTEN to what his guy, a former media insider, has to say.

[wtmusic]

59. And the answer is...no

FREE SPEECH IS FOR EVERYONE NO MATTER WHAT THE MESSAGE.

When we throw that away we throw away everything.

[RufusTFirefly]

26. I share your uneasiness, Buzz Clik. And yet...

One of the purposes of the Bill of Rights is to combat the so-called "tyranny of the majority." It's important to remember that with these amendments, the majority doesn't always rule.

If you stand in a public park and speak inconvenient truths, you cannot be removed or stopped from speaking, even if the majority of the people in the park disagree with your viewpoints. Similarly, if you produce art that the majority of people find offensive, your right to produce that art is still protected. I'm not a Christian, but I think Jesus' call to "love thine enemy" shares some similarities with the First Amendment. It's easy to defend speech you agree with or to protect art you like in the same way it's relatively easy to love a friend. The hard part is to apply these same rules to people and ideas that run contrary to your interests, values, and views.

That said, I think we need to ask how David Horowitz got his platform in the first place. A former leftist who made a 180 degree turn, he became the darling of the Right and has reaped the benefit of the Right's money and influence as a result. There's a chance that without them, he might be mumbling to himself on a park bench somewhere.

So, the very fact that he is well known and is provided with a prominent forum for speaking is a testament to the inequity of our system when it comes to free speech and free expression.

Shouting Horowitz down does seem at least superficially to be at odds with what we understand to be the ideals underlying the First Amendment. And I must say the image troubles me. But to draw this conclusion in isolation is to ignore or discount the circumstances that put him on stage.

Or, as A.J. Liebling famously said about another clause in the First Amendment "freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one."

[Buzz Clik]

32. Right. And that's why I feel torn.

Shouting Horowitz down does seem at least superficially to be at odds with what we understand to be the ideals underlying the First Amendment. And I must say the image troubles me. But to draw this conclusion in isolation is to ignore or discount the circumstances that put him on stage.

As I mentioned in my post (up there somewhere), Horowitz's title was begging for problems, and I have no doubt the title was picked to encite problems.

Look for a column by Horowitz complaining how badly he was treated.

It is no accident that Horowitz visits the hottest hotbeds of liberalism he can find.

[NMDemDist2]

11. "Be afraid, be very afraid"

:rofl:

that old gal RAWKED!!!

[Laughing Mirror]

17. She was a joy

She knows that humor unmasks the fear that the clown on the stage's act is based on. Take away the fear and the show falls apart.

[peacetheonlyway]

18. poignant analysis

my friend gloria will enjoy this perspective.she was one of the women standing up behind the other woman.

they are fighting it out in the emory wheel newspaper. folks saying emory reputation ruined. yeah right!!! Hosting peace activists who are winning against the folks who want to start world war III. it's more like a pivotal time in history what emory university folks did.

[Peace Patriot]

13. Horowitz can go have free speech on all the christo-fascist, war profiteering,

corporate news monopoly TV and radio stations that dominate our PUBLIC airwaves, and in all of their print subsidiaries, where warmongering and fascist propaganda is trumpeted to the American people, 24/7, all run by five fatcat, rightwing multi-billionaire CEOs; and he can line his pockets having lots of free speech at rightwing, corporate billionaire funded 'think' tanks--writing hate-mongering books that he can test "free market" theories with (anybody buying?)--and as comic relief at fatcat banquets, while all the Bushite banqueters finger their Rosary beads in their pockets and meditate upon "no room at the inn" and "love they neighbor as thyself."

That's enough free speech for one person--and for one war profiteering, hatemongering, thieving, lying, fuck American democracy viewpoint.

We've heard enough.

And, really, there are some speakers on which I think even Thomas Jefferson would turn his back and shout the truth to drown them out. In fact, those guys--Jefferson, Madison, Washington--didn't have a whole lot of tolerance for traitors, royalists and "agents of the Crown."

[peacetheonlyway]

16. BRAVO peace patriot

this was a turning point for the activist community.

there are SOOOO Many more of us than them.

the only people we should fear are the war mongers derailing our economy and killing innocent people all over the world with our taxpayer money.

[creeksneakers2]

39. A university

is a great place to hold unpopular speech and debate it. Allowing all ideas into the mix is part of the mission of a university.

[hlthe2b]

21. the Muslim man at the end was so eloquent...

I wonder if he might be Emory faculty.... Anyone know?

[TheDoorbellRang]

27. That was great!

I loved it when the guy said those standing would be removed physically, and twice as many more in audience stood up. Voltaire is alive and well at Emory: "I may not agree with what you say, but defend to the death your right to say it." Gore is right -- we need a two-way discourse for democracy to thrive. If the Horowitz forum, didn't allow for that, it was the people's right to make it two-way.

Note also what ex-journalist was saying at the end: police were taking pictures of the protesters. Very frightening times we are in, my friends.

[Warren Stupidity]

28. Free speech is about government interference not about booing an idiot.

Had the government stormed into the theater and frog marched Whorowitz offstage, there would be a free speech issue. Whorowitz spoke, the audience spoke, lots of folks exercised their freedom of speech.

[struggle4progress]

29. "Everyone stand up – they can’t haul us all out!”

:bounce:

[redacted]

40. Posters from my "Ignore" list are all over this thread.

[redacted]

41. deleted--didn't see post with working video link

[Cybergata]

44. Try the link that is right below where the video would normally show up. N/T

[ikojo]

47. Amazing....this happened at a university in the SOUTH?

I think the father of one of my friends attended law school at Emory.

GOOD FOR YOU EMORY STUDENTS AND STAFF!!!

Those of us on the opposite side of the political spectrum had best expect our speakers to be heckled as well.

[efhmc]

50. Do you have any idea how condescending and demeaning that

comment is? "this happened in a university in the South?"

[ikojo]

51. Georiga is a red state (as is MO with baby Blunt as

governor)...I would no more expect this at any of the high priced private universities in St Louis than I would a high priced private university in Atlanta.

That's what I meant.

[efhmc]

52. Perhaps, "meant", but not said. The implication is clear. Those in the

south, even at university, would not be expected to protest bigotry.

[peacetheonlyway]

56. Picture Horowitz with a knife to your kid's throat or calling on a force of police to kill activists

that is what this man represents.

pure unadulterated 'entitled to commit violence against anyone he doesn't like' Horowitz is a jew in nazi clothing holding the door open to the gas chambers.

we can argue free speech all day long, but if a man comes to my city, threatening a war that will land my country into world war 3, I'd do pretty much anything to shut him the fuck up.

[wtmusic]

58. So "peace is the only way" until someone disagrees with you

then it's time for some good old-fashioned asskicking

:rofl:

IMO a little introspection is in order