SALT LAKE CITY — Ben Shapiro entered the University of Utah auditorium to thunderous applause from hundreds of students Wednesday night. Outside, hundreds more protested his presence on campus.
"Those people are exercising their First Amendment rights, and that's great. It would be better if they came inside and have a discussion with me," Shapiro said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
The editor-in-chief of the Daily Wire and former editor with Breitbart News spoke about several issues, discussing white privilege, capitalism, transgender issues, public education and victimization.
He also read an opinion letter published in the Salt Lake Tribune from Ian Decker, an organizer with the U.'s Students for a Democratic Society chapter. Shapiro addressed each issue mentioned in the letter, explaining his views.
"Speech is speech, and violence is violence," Shapiro said. "The idea that if I say something you find offensive, that this is somehow a provocation of violence across the country, is merely an excuse for people to get violent against people with whom they disagree."
Each seat was filled in the auditorium, which holds 400. A few students left silently after Shapiro began speaking, but the seats were quickly filled by others waiting outside the venue without tickets.
"If you can name one person in America who has been physically harmed because of my speech, I dare you to find them and show them to me — one," Shapiro said.
He also held a question-and-answer segment at the end of his speech, inviting students with conflicting views to ask questions and defend their views. Questions ranged from views on atheism to student loans to gun rights.
"This speech should be uplifting, because it says you get to do what you want, which was the basic American promise in the first place," Shapiro said. "If somebody is victimizing you in a specific way due to racism, sexism, bigotry, then name it, call it out, and we can all be a part of fighting that together. But otherwise, buckle down. Do you work. The way your life is going to get better is by you working harder and working smarter."
At least 1,000 more people wanted to attend the event, said Dillon Clark, founder and chairman of the university's chapter of Young Americans for Freedom. Next time, he plans to pick a bigger venue.
"The protests seemed to be peaceful all around. We had a great turnout, and the event went very smoothly," he said. "We might've had a couple problems with our live stream, but overall it was a great event."
Included in the audience were students who both agreed and disagreed with Shapiro's views.
"I think for me, as someone who aligns more liberally, I want to be willing to hear other people’s sides, even if I go into it knowing that I probably will not agree," said Julianne Skrivan, a U. senior. "I think it’s important to listen and create a culture of debate."
Cameron Marlow, pursuing a master's in biology, said he hopes the event sets a model for other universities to follow.
"I think it’s a great opportunity for President (David) Pershing and the rest of the faculty throughout the university to show they are truly inclusive," he said.
Anneke Davis, a U. sophomore, has been listening to Shapiro's podcast and YouTube videos for years.
"I’ve heard all his speeches, so I know where he stands on everything. I agree with 99.99 percent of everything he says," she said. "But I like to hear both sides, even though I’m so far on one side."
Nic Park and Franck Rosas were the first in line at the event, waiting for hours to get into the auditorium. Both U. students wore red "Make America Great Again" caps and said sometimes they feel their views aren't tolerated in their university classes.
"It's refreshing to have a conservative speaker on campus." Rosas said. "I think everyone was open and Shapiro was really good at answering everybody's questions."
"There was not one thing that I would even remotely think would be hate speech," Park added.
Since Shapiro's appearance is sponsored by a registered student organization, and meets all the required criteria, Pershing said the university would allow the controversial event.
"We are deeply committed to equity, inclusion and diversity at the University of Utah and we strive to foster an environment of respect," he wrote in an open letter earlier in the month. "These values are essential to our institution and to our collective common good, and I remain dedicated to our many efforts to ensure our university is welcoming and safe for all."
The Young Americans of Freedom invited Shapiro to campus, paying for his speaking fees, hotel room and flights.
"Your decisions are the best privilege you have," Shapiro said. "The only privilege that matters in the United States is the privilege of making free decisions. We all have that privilege in our free country."