8:49 am

Follow this thread throughout the day for real-time quotes, photos and notes from today’s events.

1:24 pm

The student community at Colorado Mesa University (CMU) is already preparing for the Unity Fest today, slated to start at 3 pm. The Unity Fest was planned and brought to reality by many groups under the umbrella of student life.

“I think it’s really important to spread unity throughout our school and just promote togetherness,” said Hannah Weston while setting up the event.

As this event and more get underway, we will bring you live coverage from around campus. If no new updates are present, refresh the page. We will update this story as events unfold.

4:10 pm

Both the Unity Fest and protest against Jared Taylor are well underway at CMU. For the Unity Fest, numerous clubs have set up tables with games and food. KMSA, CMU’s on-campus radio station had been playing music before live music arrived. Despite the crazy events of the day, there’s an overwhelming calmness amongst goers of the Unity Fest.

“This whole event is about unity. It’s about coming out, bringing everybody together, this is really what it’s all about,” said Associated Student Government Vice President Myles Newble.

Newble is manning the table of the Black Student Alliance, in a row of groups associated with the Cultural Inclusion Council (CIC). Organizations also present are the Latino Student Alliance, the Native American Student Association and the Gender and Sexuality Alliance.

“I think it’s [important] to show that we are here for support for anybody, not just Latinos, but anyone in general. I know it’s a difficult topic for a lot of people. They have mixed feelings about the speaker, about how the school is handling it and how other students are handling it,” said co-chair of the Latino Student Alliance, Elizabeth Fernandez-Salas.

On the other side of campus, the Mesa County Democratic Socialists of America (MCDSA) are holding their protest, with a march set to start at 5 pm. The group, which began their march at Lincoln Park, is filled with signs against fascism, Taylor and otherwise bigotry against minority communities.

“It’s really important to march today. We think that the university has a responsibility for the safety of students and the ideologies that have been allowed […] are really dangerous,” said Isabel De La Canal, co-chair of MCDSA and a student here at CMU.

As these events continue and evolve, we’ll continue to update this page. Taylor’s speech is slated to start at 6 pm.

5:55 pm

As Taylor’s arrival draws nearer, security on campus is ramping up.

On top of Wubben Science Hall, the Grand Junction Police Department (GJPD) has set up shop, with binoculars and tripods. There is also presence on top of Monument Hall and Asteria Theater.

“It’s important for us to be here because we’re assigned to campus. As much as the college is making a statement about the beliefs of the students and the causes they support, it’s important for them to see that campus safety is out here,” said GJPD officer Eric Gerstenberger.

Between the Unity Fest and the protesting party of MCDSA, this is likely the most people that have been in the center of campus at one time. Even with the mass influx of people on campus, the environment remains calm and peaceful.

Once Taylor’s speech starts, we will have real-time quotes from himself, Western Culture Club (WCC) President Maxwell Applebaugh, and WCC’s lawyer, Jason Lee Van Dyke.

6:27 pm

Taylor’s speech has begun within the University Center (UC). Half the room is empty, meaning only 40 of the 80 tickets have been used. The following are quotes from Taylor.

“I’ve watched with some amusement the prospect of my being here on this campus,” said Taylor.

The amusement he speaks of? The Unity Fest and protests.

 “The campus is saying I’m a fascist, I’m a neo nazi, I’m a white supremacist,” said Taylor.

“Why isn’t [John Marshall] here? I understand there are people on campus who are asking the question,” said Taylor.

Marshall is currently at the Unity Fest, connecting with students and community members. He declined to comment at the time, and has referred the Criterion staff to schedule a meeting with him at a later date.

“No one even knows what I’m going to say, but the thought of my very being strikes terror. And you know what that says to me? It says that this campus has no [strength] in the values it [claims to hold?],” said Taylor.

“No one is quaking in terror… It’s an excuse to feel righteous indignation…,” said Taylor.

As Taylor continues his speech, we will continue to cover his speech, security measures, the Unity Fest and the protests on campus.

6:57 pm

Taylor’s speech is still ongoing within the UC, as he continues to share his personal beliefs on various issues. Here are more noteworthy quotes from Taylor’s speech.

“Prisoners are invariably asking they be segregated by race, because that’s the only way they can feel safe…Who pays the price? The poor prisoners, who [only wish to be around people like themselves],” said Taylor.

In Taylor’s speech, he consistently has mentioned segregation is the only way to resolve several issues experienced in the U.S. He has suggested that the only reason the issues exist is racial integration.

“I think Black people can only be happy in a society where they set the rules…Free from any oppression or memories of slavery…[free to govern themselves],” Taylor said.

As the Q&A session raps up, we will provide a full recap of the questions and answers.

7:16 pm

Dean Withers, a Grand Junction native and popular online debater, is currently interviewing CMU President John Marshall. A large crowd is gathering around the two, with most students cheering for Withers. We will publish quotes as soon as we get them.

8:05 pm

The unity fest, protest and Taylor speech have all come to a conclusion. Our goal for tonight is to publish a combined recap of all events on campus in one cohesive story. Please check the top of the news page for that. It was a whirlwind of an evening for all of us, and we hope we brought you the most concise and non-biased coverage available.