Journalist Mike Mahoney says a group of hostile students ganged up on him after Breitbart Tech editor Milo Yiannopoulos’ recent event at the University of Massachusetts, arguing over a litany of social justice hot-button issues — peaking with one angry young woman allegedly charging at him.
According to Mahoney’s claims, prior to the event, he approached a crowd of around 20 protesters gathering outside of the auditorium prior to the event for question. According to his story, the protesters were generally friendly and polite as they discussed Islam, feminism, and political correctness. One protester even asked to take a photo with Mahoney before they entered the auditorium together to take their seats.
The event itself was chaotic, with a group of protesters consistently attempting to shout down the panelists — which included Yiannopoulos, former philosophy Professor Christina Hoff Sommers, and comedian Steven Crowder. The protesters hurled expletives at the panelists and told them that they weren’t welcome at UMass.
After the event’s conclusion and all attendees had left the auditorium, Mahoney claims that the protesters approached him with a much different attitude. Despite Mahoney leaving the event peacefully, by his account, he claims that one student protester repeatedly told him to “get the f*ck away from” him and that others gathered around him to challenge him for supporting the event which, at that point, had finished.
Allegedly, a female protester attempted to charge through the crowd at Mahoney. When he asked her what why she was upset, he says she simply responded, “f*ck you.”
In response to the event’s discourse on Islam, one of the protesters challenged Mahoney about the cross around his neck and asked him if he considered violence committed during the Crusades to be reflective of Christianity. Because Mahoney is a white male, the protesters accused him of being responsible for the recent Charleston and Chapel Hill shootings.
Before the protesters relented, one of them allegedly condemned Mahoney for the use of terms like “moderate Islam” and “extreme Islam” because “that use of language makes it sound like the religion is a disease.”
Tom Ciccotta writes about Free Speech and Intellectual Diversity for Breitbart. You can follow him on Twitter @tciccotta or on Facebook. You can email him at tciccotta@breitbart.com
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