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Clark College, a community college in Washington State, has announced that it will call off classes and other activities on Monday, the day that Patriot Prayer, a far-right group whose rallies have been violent, will be holding one on campus. Bob Knight, the president of the college, issued a statement in which he said in part, "As a public institution of higher education, we value civil discourse on a wide range of topics, and we welcome free speech and open debate. However, we have to balance those values with the needs of our students to have a safe environment in which to learn, and of our employees to have a safe environment in which to work. Given the history of violence associated with this group, as well as with the groups that often appear in reaction to it, and given that the group has not taken the steps we normally expect organizations to complete in advance of First Amendment activities on our property, we feel that suspending operations is our most prudent course of action."
Patriot Prayer's protest is not about the college, but against a referendum in Washington State that will tighten gun control regulations.
