David Fritz
2017-09-24 04:17:34 UTC
Former FBI director James B. Comey was heckled and jeered throughout a
speech Friday at Howard University by a group of protesters chanting No
justice, no peace in a loud, contentious standoff that didnt end until
he finished his remarks.
The scene made for a difficult reappearance for the man fired by President
Trump in May. It was Comeys first public speech since he testified before
Congress in June about his firing, and few in the crowd of over 1,000
could hear much of what he said.
Get out James Comey! Youre not our homie! the group of about 20
protesters chanted.
Comey repeatedly asked to be permitted to speak, but the protesters
continued chanting.
No justice, no peace, no f---ing police! they shouted.
Eventually, the larger audience began cheering Let him speak! But the
protesters were not deterred or quieted. ?
University officials also repeatedly and unsuccessfully sought to persuade
the protesters to let Comey speak, telling them to be better than this
and allow for an open debate of ideas. In response, the protesters
chanted, White supremacy is not a debate!
Comey, wearing black academic robes, sought to get the attention of the
crowd, to no avail.
Im only going to speak for 12 minutes, he said of his convocation
address, joking that if the protesters kept it up they were all going to
be late for lunch.
I love the enthusiasm of the young folks. I just wish they would
understand what a conversation is, said Comey, trying to speak above the
interruptions of the protesters.
At one point, university professor Bernard Richardson sought to quell the
protest, saying, Thats not the Howard University way.
Comey remained quiet for about 10 minutes but then decided to deliver his
speech over the shouting. Delivering his prepared remarks, Comey spoke of
the importance of young people finding and expressing their voice but
urged them to also seek understanding of their parents and the generations
that came before them. Much of his remarks were drowned out by the
protesters shouting.
Our country is going through one of those periods where were trying to
figure out who are we really and what do we stand for. Its painful,
Comey said.
The former FBI director has agreed to take part in a lecture series at
Howard this year. He ended his remarks to the crowd by saying: Welcome to
Howard. Im honored to be here with you, and I look forward to adult
conversation about what is right and what is true.
The crowd gave him a standing ovation.
That was really crazy, said Howard freshmen Taylor Davis. Honestly,
Ive never seen anything like that before. I grew up in the suburbs.
Davis said that she agreed with the protesters message but added: I do
think Comey deserved to speak. There was a lot of people, the majority in
there, did want to hear him out and were ready to have a serious
conversation.
After the ceremony, a larger crowd of protesters outside the hall yelled
more anti-Comey chants.
The protesting students issued a statement saying Comey represents an
institution diametrically opposed to the interests of black people
domestically and abroad. While his tenure at the FBI has finished, his
impact on our community remains.
In particular, they faulted him with propagating what some officials have
called the Ferguson effect a theory that the rise in violent crime is
due to police being fearful of facing public criticism for being too
violent, and therefore avoiding confrontations with criminals.
One student, 17-year-old Dave Cassell, said he agreed with the message of
the protesters.
It makes sense due to the racial history between the FBI and black
people, Cassell said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/protesters-disrupt-
former-fbi-director-comeys-speech-at-howard-
university/2017/09/22/ae75d1c8-9fae-11e7-9c8d-
cf053ff30921_story.html?utm_term=.49369c2cddbb
speech Friday at Howard University by a group of protesters chanting No
justice, no peace in a loud, contentious standoff that didnt end until
he finished his remarks.
The scene made for a difficult reappearance for the man fired by President
Trump in May. It was Comeys first public speech since he testified before
Congress in June about his firing, and few in the crowd of over 1,000
could hear much of what he said.
Get out James Comey! Youre not our homie! the group of about 20
protesters chanted.
Comey repeatedly asked to be permitted to speak, but the protesters
continued chanting.
No justice, no peace, no f---ing police! they shouted.
Eventually, the larger audience began cheering Let him speak! But the
protesters were not deterred or quieted. ?
University officials also repeatedly and unsuccessfully sought to persuade
the protesters to let Comey speak, telling them to be better than this
and allow for an open debate of ideas. In response, the protesters
chanted, White supremacy is not a debate!
Comey, wearing black academic robes, sought to get the attention of the
crowd, to no avail.
Im only going to speak for 12 minutes, he said of his convocation
address, joking that if the protesters kept it up they were all going to
be late for lunch.
I love the enthusiasm of the young folks. I just wish they would
understand what a conversation is, said Comey, trying to speak above the
interruptions of the protesters.
At one point, university professor Bernard Richardson sought to quell the
protest, saying, Thats not the Howard University way.
Comey remained quiet for about 10 minutes but then decided to deliver his
speech over the shouting. Delivering his prepared remarks, Comey spoke of
the importance of young people finding and expressing their voice but
urged them to also seek understanding of their parents and the generations
that came before them. Much of his remarks were drowned out by the
protesters shouting.
Our country is going through one of those periods where were trying to
figure out who are we really and what do we stand for. Its painful,
Comey said.
The former FBI director has agreed to take part in a lecture series at
Howard this year. He ended his remarks to the crowd by saying: Welcome to
Howard. Im honored to be here with you, and I look forward to adult
conversation about what is right and what is true.
The crowd gave him a standing ovation.
That was really crazy, said Howard freshmen Taylor Davis. Honestly,
Ive never seen anything like that before. I grew up in the suburbs.
Davis said that she agreed with the protesters message but added: I do
think Comey deserved to speak. There was a lot of people, the majority in
there, did want to hear him out and were ready to have a serious
conversation.
After the ceremony, a larger crowd of protesters outside the hall yelled
more anti-Comey chants.
The protesting students issued a statement saying Comey represents an
institution diametrically opposed to the interests of black people
domestically and abroad. While his tenure at the FBI has finished, his
impact on our community remains.
In particular, they faulted him with propagating what some officials have
called the Ferguson effect a theory that the rise in violent crime is
due to police being fearful of facing public criticism for being too
violent, and therefore avoiding confrontations with criminals.
One student, 17-year-old Dave Cassell, said he agreed with the message of
the protesters.
It makes sense due to the racial history between the FBI and black
people, Cassell said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/protesters-disrupt-
former-fbi-director-comeys-speech-at-howard-
university/2017/09/22/ae75d1c8-9fae-11e7-9c8d-
cf053ff30921_story.html?utm_term=.49369c2cddbb