San Francisco State University's student government slammed the administration for assigning police officers at Riley Gaines’s Thursday speech, where the speaker was allegedly assaulted by protesters.
Student government president Karina Zamora wrote a letter to the university’s administration claiming that the police presence was "weaponized" to "threaten" protesters, one of whom allegedly punched Gaines, a former college swimmer advocating against transgender athletes competing in women's sports. Gaines threatened to take legal action after an administrator praised the protest.
"I believe the ‘enforcement’ of TPM [Time, Place, and Manner guidelines] was weaponized to silence and threaten protesters and the presence of police was both excessive and uncalled for," Zamora's letter read.
The letter demanded that the administration "host a community forum to hear how damaging these tactics have been to our student body."
Zamora insisted that the student response to Gaines’s speech was "peaceful protest" despite the alleged assault on the speaker.
Gaines, who swam for the University of Kentucky and speaks against transgender athletes in women's sports, said she intends to sue the school for its inaction.
"The campus police did nothing. The dean of students was there and did nothing," Gaines said. "There will be no repercussions unless I have something to do with it."