Syracuse University partners with SPD for Pete Buttigieg visit Friday
SU confirmed it will collaborate with the Syracuse Police Department to enforce safety during Pete Buttigieg’s Friday campus visit. The event partnership comes weeks after activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University. Charlie Hynes | Staff Photographer
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Syracuse University will work with the Syracuse Police Department during former United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s talk on campus Friday to ensure attendee and speaker safety.
Buttigieg’s visit comes just a few weeks after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a college campus in Utah. Kirk’s death has prompted greater discussions about a rise in political violence in the United States, making on-campus organizations and law enforcement mindful of security surrounding guest speakers.
Buttigieg is scheduled to speak at the National Veterans Resource Center at 1 p.m. Security will use metal detectors and check SUIDs upon entry, according to a Friday email announcing the event. Backpacks are also not allowed.
The Canteen, a cafe within the NVRC, will be closed all day Friday, restricted to those with swipe access according to signage posted around the building.
While the university can’t reveal specific security plans for Buttigieg’s event or future speakers, an SU spokesperson said the campus is working with local law enforcement, including the Department of Public Safety and SPD to keep attendees and speakers safe..
“The safety and well-being of our community and guests is our highest priority,” the spokesperson wrote in a Tuesday statement to The Daily Orange. “We are working in close coordination with law enforcement agencies and other campus and community partners to provide a safe and positive experience for all attendees.”
SPD has “maintained ongoing discussions” with SU about political violence on college campuses, SPD Public Information Officer Thomas Blake said in a Wednesday statement to The D.O., and has protocols in place for political speaker events.
“In preparation for events of this nature, we conduct a comprehensive intelligence workup that evaluates potential threats across all sectors of society,” Blake wrote. “Security remains our top priority, and we take every measure to ensure the safety of all involved.”
In an email statement to The D.O., SU College Democrats said the university should work closely with police to ensure safety during Buttigieg’s event. However, the group also recommended being cautious not to create an “atmosphere of intimidation,” where students might feel uncomfortable engaging.
“We recognize that hosting political figures, whether at the national or local level, comes with real responsibilities in today’s climate,” the statement said. “Political violence has no place in our democracy, and it’s important that student organizations acknowledge those risks without being deterred from bringing important voices to campus.”
The organization also said it will take concerns of rising political violence into account at “every stage” when considering hosting political speakers at future events.
“At the end of the day, our role as students is to create opportunities for discussion, learning, and civic participation,” the SU College Democrats wrote. “Safety makes that possible, and it will remain our highest priority.”
SU College Republicans declined The D.O.’s request for comment.
Landon Nance, vice-president of SU’s Pride Union, said the organization often hosts drag queens and other LGBTQ+ speakers at its events, and said the rising concern of “political violence” has made the organization more aware of guest safety.
“Event safety has always been a priority for our organization,” Nance wrote in a statement to The D.O. “However, it is now more present in our minds.”
Nance said the group often uses sign-ins, keeping a “close eye” on attendees and involving DPS when necessary.
A spokesperson for University Union, the university’s student-run programming organization which often brings in celebrity guests, declined The D.O.’s request for comment because the safety of students at its events lies in the role of DPS and JMA Wireless Dome security, they said.
On Oct. 29, the university will host Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges which legalized same-sex marriage across the nation.
