Man Arrested With Gun at Protest Over Conservative Speaker’s Talk at University of Alabama

A man was arrested Thursday after he allegedly brought a gun to a protest over a talk held by conservative firebrand Matt Walsh at the University of Alabama.

Walsh is a right-wing commentator, author and podcast host and was in Tuscaloosa Thursday as part of his 'What is a Woman?' Young America's Foundation Campus Tour. 

At colleges across the country, Walsh is airing his documentary and giving talks as part of a mission "to put a stop to the indoctrination of our children with the Left's perverted, unscientific view of reality."

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According to court documents obtained by the Thread, Walsh's talk at UA's Math and Science Education Building drew a protest of about 50 people to the University's Quad, near Gorgas Library.

A University spokesperson said the protest was co-hosted by the Queer Student Association, UA Democrats, Generation Action and the Leftist Collective student organizations.

Their presence there drew counter-protestors, and some University of Alabama Police Department officers were assigned to keep an eye on the action there.

At around 7:30 p.m., two protestors alerted the officers that someone interacting with them was armed. The suspect, a 23-year-old Tuscaloosa County man, allegedly became involved in a discussion with the protestors and "advised" them that he was concealing a firearm.

Alabama law forbids anyone participating in or attending a public demonstration from possessing a firearm of any kind, so the UAPD officers identified the person in question and pulled him aside to speak with him.

The man confirmed he was armed with a 9mm handgun and was placed in handcuffs.

He was also carrying the pistol without a permit -- although the Legislature voted to repeal the requirement for a concealed carry permit earlier this year, they are still mandatory until January.

The suspect was charged with carrying a firearm at a public demonstration and carrying without a permit, both misdemeanors, and placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail.

The general policy of the Tuscaloosa Thread is to only identify suspects accused of felonies by name. The man was not a University of Alabama student or affiliated with any of the organizations behind the protest.

The man was released from jail on a combined $1,000 bond Friday.