More Troubling: Alex, it’s all true. I watched pro-Israeli protestor Daniel Bilar, a graduate student, being warned against heckling by an S&S officer, who explained that should he continue, he would be removed. Bilar is visible in the D’s photo: he is the one waving an Israeli flag. His idea was simply to correct, vocally, factual inaccuracies made by speakers at the event and remain silent, otherwise. Unfortunately, he was stopped after only two or three brief outbursts; “Unfortunately” because there were many more statements that could have used his correction.

Also troubling is that the event’s organizers, despite claiming to be non-partisan in their approach, declined to notify DIPAC or Hillel and ask for their participation. Additionally, the organizers turned down a request from DIPAC to include a debate as part of the event. Finally, one event organizer went so far as to contact S&S in an attempt to prevent DIPAC’s dissenting response (I have been told, though I cannot confirm it, that this organizer was the one quoted in the D about DIPAC’s “illegal” protest). This effort was not fruitless, of course, as seen by Mr. Bilar’s silencing.

Maybe this is something in which FIRE should be involved…