A small group of activists and students rallied outside the south entrance of the Annenberg School for Communication on Wednesday evening to protest a speech on Islamofascism by conservative author and talking head Ann Coulter.
Coulter, best known for her snarky commentary on liberalism, was brought to campus as part of Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, created by the Horowitz Freedom Center. About 200 colleges across the nation have scheduled events similar to the talk at USC, which was facilitated and sponsored by the USC College Republicans.
Organizers of the demonstration said their goal was to protest past comments by Coulter that they said were racist, sexist and intolerant.
"She's said horrible things about Jews, about gays, about women, about liberals," said Zainah Alfi, a senior majoring in communication, who came as part of the Muslim Student Union. "I don't think she's left anyone out."
Some demonstrators also said their goal was to dispel lies and stereotypes perpetuated by Coulter's words.
"I would say that the danger in this is if you have a policy that is based on lies, and you're making judgements based on non-truths and not on facts, then it's very shady ground there's a lot of intolerance going around," Adela Rios, a volunteer from the World Can't Wait political watchdog group.
Others said their intent was to show Coulter's words shouldn't be taken as serious political thought.
"Her only claim to fame is denigrating others," said Brent Blair, a senior lecturer in the School of Theatre. "She's a shock jock."
The protesters were kept outside in a designated demonstration area by administrators and Department of Public Safety officers.
When students showed up with picket signs, they were asked to remove stakes and stay on the grassy area away from the entrance of the building.
Many of the people who stayed to protest after Coulter's speech were members of the group, "Act Now Stop War and End Racism," which is not affiliated with USC. Students also traveled from UC Irvine and CSU Long Beach to participate. The group protested at CSU Long Beach this morning and at UC Berkeley last week.
Dean of Religious Life Susan Laemmle, who also stood with students outside the building, wearing an anti-Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week button, said all religious groups and cultures should band together against hateful speech.
"How do you feel when you're Muslim?" Laemmle asked. "Having the name of your religious tradition coupled with fascism - it's a horrible feeling."
Laemmle added that many faculty members communicated via e-mail about Coulter's appearance and said, "This Islamofascism is an attack not just on Muslims but an attack on sensible thinking and university values of open discourse."
But Laemmle said that Coulter's event should, by no means, have been boycotted by the university.
"I think university students should be exposed to a range of views, even obnoxious views," Laemmle said. "It's a thin line, because this kind of racism can lead to [genocide or death]."
The Office of Religious Life will be holding another event with the Women's Student Assembly called "Counter Coulter" as further protest.
Some students chose not to show up to the event, simply because they believed their presence fueled Coulter's cause.
"The reason she's popular is because people respond to her," said Timothy Fehr, president of the USC College Democrats.
The organization considered attending the protests but decided against it.
"When you protest, you contribute to her," Fehr said. "You make her a bigger deal."
