University of Utah Braces for Unrest Ahead of Speech By Conservative Commentator Ben Shapiro

(SALT LAKE CITY) — The University of Utah plans to ramp up security Wednesday night for conservative speaker Ben Shapiro, putting into action the lessons it learned from a visit to the University of California, Berkeley, earlier this month for his appearance that drew a huge police presence to ward off violent protests. Though Utah doesn’t have a history of free speech protests and violence like Berkeley, a liberal bastion and the birthplace of the American free speech movement, officials at Utah’s flagship college didn’t want to take any chances amid a climate of heightened political tensions. The University of Utah leans more liberal than the rest of the conservative state, much like Salt Lake City, where it’s located. The city has had some unrest during protests in recent years against police shootings and white extremism as well as at a Donald Trump campaign rally. The University of Utah aims to strike a delicate balance to protect protesters and people attending a speech by former Breitbart editor Ben Shapiro, while trying to avoid a “police state” atmosphere, school spokesman Chris Nelson said. “There’s no concern about peaceful protest, in fact we embrace and support it,” Nelson said. “What we’re preparing for is any violence, any type of clashes.” The university will prohibit protesters from wearing face masks and use barriers to separate them from those attending Shapiro’s talk, Nels...
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