Protests at NYU over conservative speaker

THE MAN who previously launched an attack against The Project host Waleed Aly for criticising Donald Trump has been hit by pepper spray.

THE MAN who previously launched an attack against The Project host Waleed Aly for criticising the then-Presidential hopeful Donald Trump has been hit by pepper spray after riots erupted at a speaking engagement he was invited to.

Fights broke out at a protest at New York University amid an appearance by conservative speaker Gavin McInnes, who school officials say was hit by pepper spray.

McInnes was invited to speak on campus on Thursday night by the NYU College Republicans. McInnes is an actor, comedian and co-founder of Vice Media.

His appearance sparked a protest by another group called the NYU Anti-Fascists, who said that McInnes has a track record “of using incendiary language.”

WNBC-TV reports that when McInnes arrived, chaos erupted.

Thanks for asking if I'm OK guys. I was sprayed with pepper spray but being called a Nazi burned way more. 😪

— Gavin McInnes (@Gavin_McInnes) February 3, 2017

If they are on our campus, we reserve the right to exercise our freedom of speech. That starts by calling out NYU as what it is: reactionary

— NYU Anti-Fascists (@NYUAntifascists) February 3, 2017

Protestors at Gavin McInnes event. They would not stop. pic.twitter.com/u0cLdB0oXf

— Deployable NYU Prof (@antipcnyuprof) February 3, 2017

NYU spokesman John Beckman says fights broke out and McInnes was hit with pepper spray. Beckman says McInnes tried to continue with the event, but stopped when protesters rushed into the room.

Police arrested a number of people. It’s unclear exactly how many.

It comes after violent protests erupted at the University of California in Berkeley, where right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos had been scheduled to speak on Wednesday.

We do not commit violence. We organized and distributed the event. We are proud of our community for responding swiftly, given the notice.

— NYU Anti-Fascists (@NYUAntifascists) February 3, 2017

If NYU says that it's anti-racist, anti-sexist, against Trumps' immigration ban — we want to hold it accountable to that.

— NYU Anti-Fascists (@NYUAntifascists) February 3, 2017

The “godfather of hipsterdom” launched an attack against The Project host claiming he “can’t handle the truth” while criticising him for “blowing up” and “dramatising” his comments surrounding Mr Trump’s unnerving policies on immigration and women.

In a vlog for conservative news site Rebel Media, Mr McInnes described Aly as an “East Indian virgin” and a “retard” and claimed the Logie winner had a “micro penis” in October last year, after Aly criticised Trump’s now infamous p***y remarks which shows Mr Trump verbally demeaning women.

He also described Australia as “hot Canada”.

During Aly’s editorial, co-written with The Project’s managing editor Tom Whitty, the presenter zeroed in on Mr Trump’s now infamous p***y remarks — a 2005 recording — which shows Mr Trump verbally demeaning women; notably, Access Hollywood host Arianne Zucker and Entertainment Tonight host Nancy O’Dell.

“Behind closed doors there is everything that makes our stomachs turn. The predatory nature. The privilege. The sexism. The double standard. The sinister motivation. Behind closed doors, this is what Donald Trump sounds like,” Aly said.

McInnes left Vice in 2007 and has consistently supported Trump despite a host of criticism.

In an interview with news.com.au, Mr McInnes predicted Mr Trump’s “landslide victory”, saying, “Trump personifies this sort of freedom to get back to, not literally making America great again, but making America proud of its greatness again”.

“And Australia could do with a f***ing heaping dose of that ... you’ve just got to get your balls back, really.”