Ben Shapiro spoke at Ohio State University last night and, as you might expect, there were student protesters who wanted it known that Shapiro is a threat to…something. Actually, as you’ll see, most of the protesters weren’t too clear on exactly why they were there or what they were upset about. But before the event, a smallish group of left-wing students, some of them wearing masks, marched around shouting “F**k Ben Shapiro” which gets point for being brief if not particularly convincing or coherent.

*Warning: Graphic Language*@BenShapiro is welcomed to Ohio State with thoughtful, nuanced arguments by a small group of totally sane ppl. pic.twitter.com/TbWRTTFFdy

— The Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) November 14, 2018

A bit of sarcasm here from a fellow OSU student who witnesses this part of the protest:

I was so happy to see my fellow OSU students marching around and through the Union today loudly chanting “fuck @benshapiro”! Not only did it demonstrate an incredible amount of maturity and professionalism, but it DEFINITELY changed peoples minds of people who disagree with you!

— Will Schmidt (@WSchmidt45) November 14, 2018

Protesters were also chanting “Reagan’s dead” and “John McCain’s dead.” The Reagan line is probably aimed at Young Americas Foundation, the group that invited Shapiro to speak. YAF operates the Reagan Ranch. I’m honestly not sure why they think John McCain is relevant other than that he was a Republican.

New video from @YAF show @benshapiro protesters at OSU chanting "John McCain's dead." Story in @FDRLST https://t.co/SMEjbeyDr9 pic.twitter.com/HzDK30RhF3

— Emily Jashinsky (@emilyjashinsky) November 14, 2018

The chant got the attention of Meghan McCain, though she didn’t seem too upset about it:

Hope all my followers join me in rooting for Michigan…. #OSUsnowflakes https://t.co/9zaZLVGxj9

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) November 14, 2018

Inside the hall, the speech went on as planned despite the protests. The crowd was enthusiastic:

@benshapiro takes stage at OSU for lecture organized by Young America's Foundation. pic.twitter.com/jmZrPEIWT8

— Bryant Maddrick (@BryantOnTV) November 14, 2018

Here’s a bit of what seems to be the Q&A portion of the event:

https://twitter.com/William_Pitt01/status/1062541736541609984

To really appreciate how clueless most of these protesters were, you need to watch this Austen Fletcher (aka Fleccas Talks) video. As is often the case in these situations, the majority of protesters don’t really know why they are there, other than that Ben Shapiro is bad. As for Shapiro’s right to speak freely, that concept seems to confuse the protesters who think free speech is a good thing for them but not so much for the people they disagree with.

Just once I’d love to see one of these kids think about that contradiction for a moment and suddenly realize they’ve made a mistake and put down their sign and walk away. Free speech only works if it applies to everyone, especially those you disagree with. But that never seems to happen. Instead, you get these kids who mostly don’t know why they’re there and are convinced that no-platforming the other guy’s invited speaker is the best approach to winning. It’s both sad and a little worrisome.