The campus student group L.O.G.I.C. plans to show the
controversial cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad
tonight, a week and a half after a similar event at UC Irvine where
tempers flared.
The cartoons, which violate an Islamic principle that does not
allow for visual depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, were
originally published in a Danish newspaper. The cartoons’
publication has sparked violent protests abroad and has raised
questions regarding free speech.
Organizers from L.O.G.I.C. ““ a group that advocates the
philosophy of objectivism ““ have been planning heightened
security measures in conjunction with university police and the
Center for Student Programming in light of the crowds of protestors
who flocked to last week’s Irvine event.
Put on by the College Republicans, the event at UCI strayed from
the core issue of free speech to heckling of panelists.
The event at UCI, which included verbal confrontations between
participants and protestors, also required extensive security
measures.
The UCI police department provided two teams of uniformed police
to patrol the event both inside and outside, said UCI Police Chief
Paul Henisey. The Orange County Sheriff’s bomb squad also
provided dogs and private security assisted with bag searches, he
said.
No arrests were made, but two individuals were escorted from
inside the event for “disruptive behavior,” Paul
Henisey said, adding that there were also verbal altercations
outside the event.
L.O.G.I.C. hopes to avoid similar clashes and keep the
conversation to “intellectual discourse” on the
philosophical issues surrounding the controversy,
L.O.G.I.C.’s Chief Executive Officer Arthur Lechtholz-Zey
said.
“We want to stay on the issue of free speech and
self-censorship,” he said. “We really don’t want
to stray too far to other issues pertaining to the Middle
East.”
Security for the event will be provided by university police and
private groups, Lechtholz-Zey said, adding that he expected about
300 people to attend.
Lechtholz-Zey also listed bag checks, metal detecting wands and
bomb-sniffing dogs as other possible security precautions.
The planning for the event included organizations such as the
Center for Student Programming and UCLA Events, Lechtholz-Zey
said.
“With an event of this magnitude, there’s a lot of
liability,” he said. “They all have a lot of concerns,
it is a huge headache for them.”
The degree of UCPD presence has not yet been confirmed, said
Nancy Greenstein, director of university police community
services.
“Our plans are still in formulation,” Greenstein
said. She confirmed that there will be baggage checks and did not
discount the possibility of bomb-sniffing dogs.
Security will be joined by other personnel, and Mike Cohn, the
assistant director of the Center for Student Programming, said
staff presence will be the “usual amount for an event
that’s high visibility.”
So far the campus community has been supportive and has provided
the necessary resources, Lechtholz-Zey said.
The Muslim Students Association does not plan on protesting
outside the event, as students did at UCI last week.
The reason for having a protest at UCI was to express the Muslim
stance, and the protests at UCI accomplished that, said MSA member
Sabiha Ameen.
MSA’s role is now to educate, Ameen said.
MSA will also be holding an event tonight to educate the
community on the prophet’s life, she said.
Ameen said it is not a response to L.O.G.I.C.’s event,
adding that they will not be discussing the cartoons unless the
audience has questions.