Terrifying moment female conservative University of Buffalo student is ‘hunted down’ by woke mob screaming ‘no justice, no peace,’ after she invited prominent black Republican to speak
- Lt. Col. Allen West was the speaker for an event at the University of Buffalo on Thursday called, America Is Not Racist—Why American Values are Exceptional
- During the Q&A session, protesters began chanting and banging on the walls
- West was escorted by police out of the event as protests continued outside
- Therese Purcell, University of Buffalo student and President of Young Americans for Freedom, was with West and the police escort when she became separated
- She said the protesters chased her into the bathroom where she hid for hours
- The University at Buffalo Police Dept. is investigating reports of harassment
A University of Buffalo student said she was ‘hunted down’ by a woke mob screaming ‘no justice, no peace,’ after she invited prominent black Republican Lt. Col. Allen West to speak on how he overcame racism.
Therese Purcell, president of the Young Americans for Freedom, a campus club that organized the event, said she and her fellow members only wanted to bring these open dialogues of racism to campus.
But protests erupted after the filled-to-capacity event, leading to an angry mob that chased Purcell, leaving her afraid of what would have happened if she wasn’t able to hide from them.
She shared terrifying footage of the incident online, and says it left her fearing for her life, Fox & Friends First reported.
‘I realized I was the target for these protesters, and about 200 of my fellow students started hunting me down on campus, started chasing me,’ she said.
Purcell said she heard the angry crown screaming, ‘go get her, go get her, go capture her, the girl in the red dress.’
Therese Purcell, president of the Young Americans for Freedom, a campus club that organized the event at the University of Buffalo student said she was ‘hunted down’ by a woke mob screaming ‘no justice, no peace’
Protests erupted at an event on the University of Buffalo Thursday featuring black Republican Lt. Col. Allen West, who spoke on how he overcame racism. But the event was cut short after an angry mob yelled ay West and chased students
Purcell said the threats escalated as protesters began screaming ‘no peace,’ and ‘banging on the walls,’ which prompted police to escort West out of the building
Students inside the building began protesting and yelling during the Q&A session
Purcell barely escaped the mob as she was pulled into the bathroom by a friend, where they called 911.
But Purcell added that even inside the bathroom, she heard the mob yelling that the need to ‘find her.’
‘I’m very afraid of what would have happened if I hadn’t been able to avoid them,’ she said.
‘I don’t think they were going to do anything remotely peaceful,’ Purcell told Fox & Friends First on Monday. ‘They were a very angry mob, and they were clearly saying that they were trying to chase me, that they wanted to capture me.’
Purcell spoke out Monday about the terrifying moment she says she was ‘hunted down’ which made her afraid for her life.
Tensions rose during the Q&A session just following a speech made by Lt. Col. Allen West at Thursday night’s event called, America Is Not Racist—Why American Values are Exceptional.
Former Florida congressman and Texas gubernatorial candidate Allen West (pictured at a Palm Beach County Republican Party event in 2011) needed a police escort last week after hundreds of students showed up to protest the event
Lt. Col. Allen West: Decorated military veteran and former Florida congressman
Former Florida congressman and Texas gubernatorial candidate Allen West was previously a member of the U.S. House, representing Florida’s 22nd Congressional District from 2011 until 2013.
West was the first black Republican elected from Florida since Reconstruction.
Most recently, West ran for Governor of Texas, but lost in the Republican primary on March 1, 2022.
West was born in a black-only hospital grew up in the same inner-city Atlanta, Georgia neighborhood as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
He was third of four consecutive generations in his family to serve in the United States Armed Forces.
After graduating from the University of Tennessee and earned his master’s degree from Kansas State University.
West also earned a master of military arts and sciences degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officer College in political theory and military history and operations.
West says he wants to leave behind a legacy of ‘being one who honored his oath to the constitution and safeguarded individual rights, freedoms, and liberty,’ according to Ballotpedia.
Purcell said students inside the building began protesting and yelling – along with hundreds of others who had gathered outside the event.
‘While they were screaming that we were trying to silence black voices, we were actually trying to bring this conversation to campus,’ Purcell said. ‘But instead of asking questions, they resorted to violence.’
Purcell said the threats escalated as protesters began screaming ‘no peace,’ and ‘banging on the walls,’ which prompted police to escort West out of the building.
West, 61, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, and former chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, was escorted out of the event surrounded by police – but was met with even more protesters.
Purcell, who was with West, said there were hundreds of protesters screaming at them and she quickly became separated when the mob got in between her and the police who were protecting West.
She said that’s when she decided to turn around and walk peacefully back to her car. But the mob began to target her, urging one another to ‘capture’ her.
Purcell said the mob moved on to hunt down other members of the club and claims they physically assaulted one of the board members by kicking and punching him.
‘I didn’t think it was going to be as controversial… to say on an American campus that American values are a good thing,’ Purcell said.
‘American values are worth protecting. I don’t think they like Colonel West’s message that he did experience racism… but he overcame that, and he decided not to be a victim… and that America gave him that equality of opportunity that many other countries don’t.’
‘I think these people like to see themselves as the victim, and his message fundamentally challenged that,’ she continued.
West joined Fox & Friends on Sunday to discuss the controversy surrounding his recent visit, stating that the students involved in the campus protests just ‘want to be victims.’
West said his background of being born in a blacks-only hospital and raised in the same Atlanta neighborhood as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. warrants his opinion on race and American exceptionalism
‘If you want to talk about race and American exceptionalism, why shouldn’t a black man that was born 61 years ago in a blacks-only hospital, that rose through the ranks to become a lieutenant colonel when his dad was a corporal in the segregated Army, became a member of the United States House of Representatives,’ West said on the show Sunday.
‘But these kids want to be victims. They don’t want to hear that. They’re very militant, they’re very radical, and I’m glad that we exposed them.’
West was previously a member of the U.S. House, representing Florida’s 22nd Congressional District from 2011 until 2013. He was the first black Republican elected from Florida since Reconstruction.
Most recently, West ran for Governor of Texas, but lost in the Republican primary on March 1, 2022.
The University at Buffalo Police Department told 7News that it is investigating reports of harassment filed following the campus event.
The University of Buffalo issued a statement on Friday, confirming that the school is also conducting a thorough review of the protests.
‘These events do not define who we as a university are, nor do they define who we aspire to be,’ said Barbara Ricotta, UB’s dean of students.
‘As a university community, we will continue to strive to be a place where all students can express themselves, be heard and live their lives in a welcoming and safe environment that values diversity and inclusion.’
The University at Buffalo released this statement on the incident
The University at Buffalo is deeply committed to being a safe and welcoming place for all people, and a place where freedom of expression occurs without threats and in a respectful and civil manner.
The university is conducting a thorough review of events and activities leading up to, during and after an appearance by former congressman and retired Army Lt. Col. Allen West, including the posting of anonymous social media messages threatening students protesting West’s speech and harassment of students after the speech.
‘These events do not define who we as a university are, nor do they define who we aspire to be,’ said Barbara Ricotta, UB’s dean of students. ‘As a university community, we will continue to strive to be a place where all students can express themselves, be heard and live their lives in a welcoming and safe environment that values diversity and inclusion.’
As a public university, all members of the UB community and invited guests have a right to peacefully express their views and opinions, regardless of whether others may disagree.
This includes the right of individuals to oppose the views or opinions of others – including peaceful protests – but not in such a way as to limit or prevent the speaker’s freedom of expression or interfere with university operations.
West was invited to campus by the UB student chapter of the Young Americans for Freedom. Student government-sponsored clubs are permitted to invite speakers to campus, provided they abide by university guidelines and state laws concerning public events on campus.
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