Protests in support of Palestinians started around five minutes into the Nov. 8 House Judiciary hearing on free speech on college campuses.
Protesters holding signs, chanting, and waving red-painted hands and other paraphernalia with “Gaza” written on it were part of ongoing protests against the war in the Middle East and against the United States’ support for the military operation.
When the first witness, a recent University of Buffalo graduate and former chairman of that university’s Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) Connor Ogrydziak, stepped up to testify after the opening speeches, the demonstrators began chanting.
The testimony given by Mr. Ogrydziak during the hearing before the committee focused on freedom of speech issues on college campuses, particularly at the University at Buffalo.
Multiple other attendees that could be seen behind the witness wore pink shirts and patterned fabric similar to what Palestinians are known to wear.
He recounted instances where conservative viewpoints faced opposition and disruptions during previous events, including a mob chasing chapter members and examples of violence during a speech by Lt. Col. Allen West. He also mentioned challenges faced during an event featuring Michael Knowles, including threats and a forced venue change.
Mr. Ogrydziak emphasized the need for protecting free speech on college campuses and raised concerns about the support for Hamas on campus. He concluded by highlighting the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs and not accepting the label of victim, urging support for free expression and open discourse on campuses.
Fellow YAF member and current chapter chairman Jasmyn Jordan, who is a student at the University of Iowa, choked back tears while recounting her experience of being doxxed—her personal information and photo were released to a group of 800 students when her YAF chapter hosted former Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway as a speaker.
Ms. Jordan recounted being “falsely labeled” a “Nazi, token, white supremacist, and bigot.” The witness sat in front of rows of protesters wearing garb in support of Palestinians and directly in front of a woman whose hands were painted red to appear bloody.
In her comments to the committee, the current university student recounted how her short adulthood was molded by church attendance and a homeschooled education in grades K-5.
“Lessons like ‘Iron sharpens Iron,’ ‘Be a leader not a follower,’ and ‘So Help Me God’ are ingrained into every aspect of my character,” Ms. Jordan said.
The college student went on to say that after her YAF chapter hosted Ms. Conway, “Some individuals even expressed that I made them uncomfortable and feared that I might commit a hate crime against them simply because I am black and hold conservative principles.
“These students believe that if you are a conservative, you are hateful, support oppression, and only want to benefit straight, white men even though such beliefs are untrue.”
Ms. Jordan said that the more she became involved in YAF, the more she discovered that “the playing field for freedom of speech on college campuses was not equalized.”
She spoke to other instances of violation of school policy, accusations made against other people of color, and calls for violence experienced at her school, including stalking in her dormitory and death threats that were made against people in her organization.
“I find that when a conservative doesn’t want to hear a speaker, they just don’t attend [the event]. But when a leftist doesn’t want to hear a speaker, they do everything they can to shut the lecture down.”
