Ohio U student protesters run Kaitlin Bennett off campus
Kaitlin Bennett alongside her bodyguard. Photo by Ben Peters.
Kaitlin Bennett, the controversial “Kent State gun girl,” was swiftly run off Ohio University’s campus Monday by hundreds of protesters displeased by her provocative first visit to Athens.
Bennett, accompanied by a towering bodyguard and members of her conservative activist website Liberty Hangout, claimed the group dropped by Ohio U on President’s Day to film a video asking students “trivia” questions related to the holiday.
Instead, Bennett was barraged by students demanding that she leave town, with some throwing rolls of toilet paper at her in reference to a viral rumor suggesting she defecated herself at a Kent State University party while she was a student. Others pushed into the fray to give Bennett hugs.
A large group of students gathered Monday outside of Baker Center to protest Kaitlin Bennett, often referred to as “Kent State gun girl.” Photo by Sarah Donaldson.
“It seems like the most liberal college in Ohio is also the most intolerant, the most disgusting and the most horrific when it comes to diversity of opinion, and that’s what we’re showing here today,” Bennett said.
Listen - Recounting 'Gun Girl's' Explosive Ohio U Visit
Because of the protest, the video will no longer be about President’s Day trivia, she said. Instead, it will vilify the protesters and her political opponents.
The crowd surrounding Bennett traveled with her from outside Baker Center’s fourth floor, down the building’s escalators, through West Green and returned to the ground level of Baker Center where Bennett’s bright orange Ford truck was parked nearby.
She and her cohort loaded into the truck and left campus less than two hours after arriving. She vowed in a Tweet later Monday evening to return to Ohio U with "an army of gun owners for an open carry walk through campus."
I will absolutely be returning to @ohiou's campus again, and next time I'll bring an army of gun owners for an open carry walk through campus. You can't keep us away and you can't keep us silent. Just like Donald Trump, we will always win.
— Kaitlin Bennett (@KaitMarieox) February 18, 2020
The activist staged a high-profile open-carry gun march at Kent State University in 2018, drawing hundreds of armored police officers and Antifa.
“I kind of feel like she just came here to get this reaction. I think it’s just kind of attention seeking behavior. I don’t know if she thinks she’s going to change anyone’s mind out here,” sophomore Liam McSteen said of her visit to Ohio U.
Ohio University Police Department had a large presence at the protest to ensure all parties’ rights were protected and did not ask Bennett to leave, Lt. Tim Ryan said.
The incident did not rise to the level of a riot and there were no arrests or reports of injury or violence, according to a statement from the OUPD. The department also did not receive prior notification of Bennett's plans to visit campus.
Ohio University Police Dept. officers push protesters toward the sidewalk and off of the road outside of Baker Center. Photo by Sarah Donaldson.
After she left campus, Bennett shared a video on Twitter depicting protesters throwing water on her truck.
"I think @realDonaldTrump should strip funding from universities like this that harbor terrorists," she wrote.
This is what happens when a Trump supporter goes to a college campus. Leftists at @ohiou started a riot when @Joelpatrick1776 and I showed up, and the @oupolice let it happen. I think @realDonaldTrump should strip funding from universities like this that harbor terrorists. pic.twitter.com/5TMlfdto9O
— Kaitlin Bennett (@KaitMarieox) February 17, 2020
In recent years Bennett went from a viral open-carry activist to a nationally known conservative media figure famous for creating internet videos where she primarily prods college students about social and political issues.
She is also a contributor for Infowars, a highly controversial conservative media network known for promoting misinformation and conspiracy theories about events like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
“Ohio University is committed to fostering an atmosphere that allows the free and peaceful exchange of diverse thoughts and ideas. The university urges its community to respect the rights guaranteed to all under the state and federal constitutions,” said Carly Leatherwood, an Ohio U spokesperson, in response to the afternoon’s events.
Staff writer Nolan Cramer contributed to this report.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this report stated Bennett's Jeep had "Nazi Germany iconography" on it. The iconography was an Iron Cross, which is commonly associated with Nazi Germany. But Iron Cross is also an automotive company.
