CHAPEL HILL -- The crowd that came to Virgil Goode Jr.'s speech Wednesday night at UNC-Chapel Hill heckled and harassed the former Virginia congressman, but did not stop him from speaking.
A handful of people who sought to disrupt his speech were arrested.
Goode spoke to a crowd of about 150 in the student union auditorium, detailing the history of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action, which he opposes, and illegal immigration, which he also strongly opposes.
He was brought to campus by the UNC chapter of Youth for Western Civilization, which opposes multiculturalism and mass immigration. They are the same group who sponsored Tom Tancredo, their national chairman, on campus last week.
At least a dozen campus police were on hand Wednesday's event to prevent a repeat of Tancredo's appearance at which protesters shouted and unfurled signs, ultimately stopping his speech.
The crowd had to be dispersed by pepper-spray wielding police.
Goode spoke for about 20 minutes and then took questions afterward.
At one point, Winston Crisp, the UNC assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, warned hecklers in the audience that disruptive behavior would not be tolerated.
A news release from UNC-CH stated that several audience members set off personal body alarms that had to be located and turned off by police. There was no violence or vandalism, but six people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
In The Pit, a campus gathering place adjacent to the student union, a dozen or so students opposed to the views of Youth for Western Civilization chanted and held up signs while Goode spoke inside.
Afterward, Goode said he thought the event had gone pretty well, as did Riley Matheson, founder of the YWC chapter.
"He had a lot of facts in his head," said Matheson, a senior Latin major. "It's harder to dispute someone who has facts and not just opinion."
UNC-CH Chancellor Holden Thorp issued a statement after the event, saying he regretted the arrests, but that the audience had been warned.
"I want everyone to know that these six people do not represent what Carolina stands for when it comes to freedom of expression," he said.
Lola Bajomo, a freshman from Charlotte, said she considers herself a "moderate conservative," and agrees with Goode on some issues, but diverges on others.
She came to the event, she said, to try to understand how people move from being moderates to extremists.
"It's a chance to hear people who don't agree with you," she said.
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