Activists Try to Stop Conservative Writer Michael Knowles from Speaking at UMKC, Throw Liquid At Him

Michael Knowles, a writer for the conservative Daily Wire, attempted to speak at the University of Missouri-Kansas City on Thursday. Protesters heckled him, and one hurled a liquid that smelled like bleach at him.

The substance was not actually bleach. Police arrested the attacker immediately. According to Campus Reform:

UMKC responded to the incident in a tweet, saying, “we have a responsibility to allow free speech, but we cannot condone physical disruptions of peaceful activities. We believe free speech can be exercised constructively in a way that doesn’t put people at risk. We are gathering facts and will review campus policies & procedures.”

Knowles was on campus to give a talk called “Men Are Not Women,” presumably about his views on the transgender community.

Knowles is a professional provocateur and decidedly trollish rightwing figure. (His book Reasons to Vote for Democrats is just 266 blank pages.) It seems obvious that the best thing to do is ignore his talks, which are quite intentionally designed to get a rise out of lefties and trick them into making themselves look intolerant and cartoonish. True to form, the activist left greeted Knowles with the kind of stupid, self-defeating behavior that Knowles’ ilk thrives on.