DAVIS, Calif. — Student activists tried to shut down Riley Gaines’ “Protecting Women’s Sports” event on the University of California, Davis campus on Friday, but Gaines told The Federalist the outrage she faced shows exactly “why I feel so passionately about defending” the rights of female athletes. Students’ protests and threats followed Eventbrite‘s decision to kick Gaines’ event off its platform, but neither attempt to stifle her speech was successful and the event took place as planned.
“This has been the approach that a lot of these platforms, like Eventbrite, have taken in stifling the speech of women defending their rights,” Gaines told The Federalist. “So I was certainly not surprised by any means.”
I love all the people in my comments saying they’ve deleted their Eventbrite account. Give ’em the Bud Light treatment
🚨Newsflash: being a woman and advocating for such isn’t a hate crime.🚨 pic.twitter.com/EQmh2JbcF1
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 26, 2023
In the weeks leading up to the event, various UC Davis student organizations flagged the event on their social media to protest and to express their disapproval. A flyer that was circulated by groups such as UC Davis #CopsOffCampus labeled Gaines a “notorious transphobic speaker,” insisting “we will not stand for that bullsh-t” and urging protesters to “be ready to make noise.”
The protesters gathered outside the venue more than an hour before it was set to take place. The mob featured individuals in all black, concealing their identity with face masks, umbrellas, and
