Jan 13th, 2020
VANCOUVER: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (www.jccf.ca) is proceeding with legal action against the University of British Columbia for refusing to rescind its cancellation of a planned campus event, featuring Andy Ngo on the topic of Antifa violence.
The Free Speech Club and UBC entered into a contract on November 25, 2019 to hold the event, and the club paid the required booking deposit. The UBC Executive unilaterally cancelled the event in December 2019, stating in an email shortly before Christmas that this was necessary due to concerns “about the safety and security of our campus community”. No specific concerns were stated. If UBC had safety concerns, it did not communicate any specific concerns to The Free Speech Club, or make efforts to address such concerns.
On December 31, 2019, the Justice Centre issued a demand letter to the President of the University of British Columbia (“UBC”), and warned of legal action if the event was not reinstated.
UBC Counsel Hubert Lai responded January 8, 2020 that UBC will not be reinstating the Andy Ngo event, stating “Mr. Ngo has been the target of violence in the past” and claims that “the risk to persons and property was too high.”
The Justice Centre has been instructed by The Free Speech Club to file a court application against UBC for its cancellation of the Andy Ngo event.
“UBC’s refusal to defend freedom of expression shows that it has lost sight of its ‘central role in providing a forum where ideas can be expressed, debated, and challenged, and where participants can gain insight and greater mutual understanding,’” stated lawyer Marty Moore of the Justice Centre. “UBC’s decision effectively punishes a victim of violence by banning him from speaking at UBC, in what appears to be an attempt to appease the violent group Antifa,” continued Moore.
Angelo Isidorou, Director of The Free Speech Club, commented, “I am deeply disappointed in the direction UBC has taken. By not reinstating our event, they are telling the world that free speech doesn’t matter. If UBC won’t respect its own purpose and policies founded on freedom of expression, we hope the court will help them do so, and ensure this horrible decision never happens again. We will continue to fight for free speech.”
“The appropriate response to violent extremists who threaten access to information in the academy is not to give in to their demands by cancelling the event,” added Andy Ngo. “As is demonstrated over-and-over elsewhere, appeasing Antifa ideologues only emboldens them to make more demands. Their goal is to silence opposition through intimidation and violence.”
Background Information
In November 2019, The Free Speech Club, a student group at UBC, organized an event entitled “Understanding ANTIFA Violence” featuring Andy Ngo at UBC’s Robson Square campus, to take place on January 29, 2020.
Antifa, short for “anti-fascist,” is a loosely organized coalition of left-wing activists and self-described communist anarchists who use direct action, including vandalism, physical violence, threats, cyber attacks, and blockades, often to shut down events or protest opinions they oppose. Antifa protestors typically dress in black and wear masks to hide their faces.
Andy Ngo is a well-known journalist who frequently reports on Antifa protests and violence. His work has made him a target of Antifa. In June 2019, Mr. Ngo was violently attacked and injured while documenting an Antifa protest in Portland, Oregon, requiring hospitalization. Andy Ngo, who is of Vietnamese heritage and openly gay, is currently editor at large for The Post Millennial, a Canadian news website.
For more information contact:
Marty Moore, Staff Lawyer, Justice Centre
(587) 998-1806, mmoore@jccf.ca, media@jccf.ca