PULLMAN- multiple student organizations held demonstrations on Glenn Terrell Mall on Tuesday, drawing the attention of hundreds of bypassers and multiple Spokane news outlets.
“My main goal here to promote not only a civil discourse, but an intelligent discourse” said Amir H. Rezamand, President of WSU’s College Republicans.
The College Republicans held a demonstration to promote discussion about the First and Second Amendments. Young Americans for Liberty joined them to promote free speech. They held their recurring “Free Speech Beach Ball” event. In this event they bring a large inflatable ball to campus and ask passing students to write whatever they would like to on it.
“It advocates for free speech, one of the cornerstones of Western society,” said River Maketa, president of Young Americans for Liberty.
Students dressed in orange clothes held a counter protest in support of immigration. University president Kirk Schulz tweeted that he was wearing an orange tie in support of undocumented students.
Wearing some orange today to show support for our undocumented students at WSU. #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/WcPvDUOHsv
— Kirk H Schulz (@WSU_Cougar_Pres) April 16, 2019
The students involved in the protest said they are not part of an organization and that they all decided to show up to support their cause. They refused to speak with Murrow News 8. When approached they began chanting until reporters left.
Earlier this week rumors circulated that the College of Republicans would construct a wall in support of president Trump. They had previously done this in 2016 in the weeks leading up to the presidential election. The event drew thousands of students and residents to Glenn Terrell Mall to support or protest the demonstration.
Expecting a wall, many Spokane news outlets sent reporters to Pullman to cover what they anticipated to be major news. WSU’s Department of Communication paid for an ad in The Daily Evergreen stating that while students had the right to free speech, WSU supports community members who would be adversely affected by Tuesday’s planned protest.
Rezamand said he does not know the source of the rumors regarding the Trump wall.
“I never made any announcements to any news stations, there’s nothing on the papers”
He said that they do plan to hold the wall demonstration at a later date. So far their Go Fund Me for the event has raised $1630 of their $2500 goal.
While the event intended to promote discussion, both groups mostly stayed to their own side with their own supporters. The few debates that did occur did not seem to have productive dialogue.
Because of the misinformation regarding the College Republicans protest, the protests were not relevant to each other. While the demonstrations remained civil, they failed to bring productive conversation or sway opinions.
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