by David Lindfield
Nearly one-third of American college students say using violence can be an acceptable way to stop someone with opposing political views from speaking on campus, according to a sweeping new survey examining the state of free speech at the nation’s universities.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) surveyed 63,000 students across 262 schools for its annual college free-speech rankings and found that 30% considered violence against a campus speaker acceptable in at least some circumstances.
That figure is down from 34% last year, but the results still show significant support for using force to shut down speech, coming one year after the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Support for Political Violence Remains Widespread
FIRE asked students: “How acceptable would you say it is for students to engage in the following actions to protest a campus speaker? Using violence to stop a campus speech.”
Students could answer “always acceptable,” “sometimes acceptable,” “rarely acceptable,” or “never acceptable.”
Three percent said violence was “always acceptable,” while another 12% said it was “sometimes acceptable.”
Another 15% selected “rarely acceptable,” bringing the total willing to endorse political violence under at least some circumstances to 30%.
The wording leaves some ambiguity surrounding students who selected “rarely acceptable,” since some respondents may have interpreted that answer as effectively expressing opposition to violence.
There is considerably less ambiguity surrounding the 15% who explicitly said violence was either always or sometimes justified.
The findings take on added significance one year after Kirk was assassinated.
It underscores the consequences of political hostility spilling beyond debate and into violence.
Majority Say Shouting Down Speakers Is Acceptable
Students were even more willing to endorse disrupting speakers without physical violence.
FIRE found that 69% said shouting down a campus speaker was acceptable in at least rare circumstances.
Five percent considered shouting down speakers “always acceptable,” while 30% said it was “sometimes acceptable.”