Student Activists Told to Remove Table from Penn State 'Free Speech Zone' (Video)

Student Activists Told to Remove Table from Penn State 'Free Speech Zone' (Video)

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Several Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) Penn State student activists were tabling for their organization in celebration of Constitution Day on Wednesday.

Jolie Davis, chair of her YAF Chapter, had copies of the Constitution as well as literature at the table informing students of Penn State's "speech code" policies. On the 8,500 acres of Penn State, there are only 12 small spaces designated as "Free Speech Zones" on campus. The organization's table, located outside of the Hetzel Union Building (HUB), had a poster that read "Free Speech Banned at Penn State."

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After an hour or so of tabling, the YAF table was approached by campus security personnel, who told Jolie to take the table down. Jolie pressed the official with questions, asking why she had to take down her table. The campus security officer replied, "You can't have a table but you can pass out flyers." It is important to note that the area in which Davis was tabling was a "designated free speech zone."

Davis and other activists decided to film the whole encounter. Once the official realized he was being recorded, he said, "It's not going to help your cause to put this on video." The official brought two more people from the college with him, one of them from Student Affairs, where they explained to Davis that she needed to reserve the space. She asked why she would have to reserve the space since it is a "designated free speech zone." The college representatives told her she could go inside and discuss the policy. However, when she did, the officials hurried away.

Davis and other YAF activists have tabled at this exact location before; the only difference this time was now her organization was highlighting Penn State's ridiculous speech code policies. Davis said, "At Penn State not all free speech is created equal."

Apparently, it isn't enough to restrict students' free speech rights on campus because now students' rights are restricted even in designated free speech zones. 

Ashley Pratte is the spokeswoman for Young America's Foundation. Follow her on Twitter @AshPratte.