SALISBURY, Md. - A controversial speaker’s appearance at Salisbury University drew both supporters and protesters to campus Wednesday night, months after a previous event was postponed over security concerns.
Jared Taylor, who describes himself as an advocate for white people, spoke inside Devilbiss Hall after being invited by Colin McEvers, chairman of the Maryland College Republicans. Outside the building, Salisbury University College Democrats and other students held what they described as a peaceful demonstration against Taylor and his views.
Taylor’s appearance had been scheduled for March 9, but Salisbury University postponed the event at the time because of security concerns. McEvers said his organization later paid thousands of dollars in security fees to reschedule it.
Before the event began Wednesday night, McEvers said his goal was to create space for conversation, including with people who disagree with Taylor.
“The main goal of the event is to have a conversation, to have open dialogue,” McEvers said. “To really allow for people in the community, whether they agree with Jared Taylor or they disagree with him, to come to the event, to hear what he has to say.”
McEvers said the event included a question-and-answer portion, which he said gave students, faculty and community members a chance to challenge Taylor directly.
“The fact of the matter is that there’s still a lot of censorship and a lot of cancel culture on these college campuses,” McEvers said. “That is one thing that I’ve definitely seen as a college student, as a college Republican.”
McEvers said he does not believe Taylor is accurately portrayed by critics who call him a white supremacist or Nazi. He said he hoped people would hear Taylor directly rather than rely on what they read online.
“I think having someone who is as censored as Jared Taylor and as controversial, even though I don’t necessarily consider him to be controversial per se, I think it’s going to be an incredible opportunity to engage the community,” McEvers said.
Outside Devilbiss Hall, students said they wanted to make clear that Taylor’s views are not welcome on campus.
Ava Mumbauer, a Salisbury University sophomore and member of the College Democrats, said the demonstration was meant to oppose Taylor’s message while still recognizing the right to free expression.
“We believe in free speech, but we don’t believe in hate speech,” Mumbauer said.
Mumbauer said she was surprised and appalled when she learned Taylor was coming to campus, but said the event also gave students an opportunity to speak up.
“It goes against my values and it goes against the values at the university,” Mumbauer said. “But now that it’s really happening, I see it as an opportunity. We’re always going to have these opposing views, but it’s important to speak up for what we believe is right.”
Other students at the demonstration said they believed the size of the crowd outside showed that many on campus disagreed with the decision to host Taylor.
Gabe Erb, a Salisbury University student, said he did not know much about Taylor until recently, but decided to attend the demonstration after looking into his views.
“I think we’re just trying to show that not everybody is thinking like that,” Erb said. “Maybe that this has really no place on campus.”
Nolan Sarafa, another person at the demonstration, said he believed Taylor’s appearance reflected poorly on the people who brought him to campus.
“White supremacists shouldn’t be on the Salisbury campus at all,” Sarafa said. “I think it’s an awful representation for the Republican Party.”
Graham Schultz said he understood the free speech argument, but did not believe the event was the right way to serve the campus community.
“They’re trying to exercise their First Amendment right. But there’s better ways to do it,” Schultz said. “Why are you doing something just for yourself and for maybe a couple other people instead of the general good?”
Some people who attended Taylor’s event said they were there to support McEvers and hear what Taylor had to say.
Andrew Cooper said he felt Taylor’s supporters were not being treated fairly.
“We’re just here to hear what has to be said,” Cooper said.
Cooper said he believed McEvers and those attending the event deserved a fair chance to hold the program.
“I just feel like they should get a fair shake,” Cooper said. “It shouldn’t be such a hassle for him to come here.”
McEvers said before the event he was aware of the tension surrounding the night, but expected conversation to outweigh confrontation. He said anyone who disrupted the event inside would be asked to leave.
“There has been a lot of drama about it,” McEvers said. “There’s been a lot of buzz on campus. But I think that it will present an opportunity to actually get to the bottom of what we agree on, what we still disagree with, and having an actual conversation.”
For students outside, the demonstration was also about making their own speech visible.
Nathan Weiler said the campus belongs to those protesting as much as those attending the event.
“This is our campus as much as it is yours,” Weiler said. “And we got our freedom to speak what we want.”
Lydia Loftus, another person at the demonstration, said Taylor’s appearance was upsetting because of Salisbury University’s diverse student body.
“I was very angry,” Loftus said. “Allowing and hosting someone who is so hateful, it angers me.”
In reference to the opposing crowd outside, Taylor said in an interview with WBOC, "they're a bunch of big babies."
This event was not sponsored by Salisbury University. A spokesperson for the university says Taylor's rhetoric stands "in direct opposition" to the school's core values.
The demonstration outside and the event inside created two different scenes on the same campus, centered on a larger debate over free speech, hate speech, safety and belonging at Salisbury University.
