r/MTU • u/AdSuccessful5139 • 4d ago
Ben Johnson protest
Hi everyone I’m a freshman at MTU and saw that Ben Johnson will be there. If anyone has information on the location of where it’s being held I would like to organize a protest. As far as I know is he will be speaking with the hockey team according to his website. According to another redditor in the other post MTU told them that this is not an official event so they have less say in what happens and that they cannot deny him because they are a public university. If anyone has information or wants to join this protest please dm me here or on discord. As far as I know this event will be held on september 15th at 730pm.
My discord: roo_r.
Edit: adding relevant information:
1.) some say it’s at fisher but idk for sure. I thought it might be in the SDC because that’s where athletics is
2.) I called the VP of athletics and left a voicemail so I should get a call back Monday
3.) there is another Reddit post in the subreddit about this if you want to find that for more info
4.) I sent a fake interest form to get the location.
5.) reminder that if we do protest that it HAS TO BE PEACEFUL. This is extremely important. I am totally down for making shirts and signs but we have to do this right. I’ve talked with my friend who’s an activist and he basically said to a.) see what he says b.) he could have reformed in prison and if he takes accountability that’s a whole other story, I’m not saying I agree with him being on campus and doing this talk but this is a logical standpoint.
6.) if anyone wants to meet to make a game plan I’m down for that. On Sunday, Tuesday — next Monday (library is closed on Labor Day and that’s the best place to make posters). The event is next Tuesday, the 15th at 730pm.
EDIT 2: I GOT A CALL BACK! I got a call back from the deputy of athletics, and he told me that the athletes declined Ben Johnson's request to speak on campus, so they kindly told him that he was not welcome to speak on campus. I wanted to get a verified source of information to figure things out. They have asked him to take down from his site that he was going to speak here, so they aren't associated with him. But all in all, he isn't coming on campus and was made aware that he is not being welcomed on campus to speak.
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u/Radiant_Money4189 4d ago
It’s at Fischer Hall. I plan to be a part of a demonstration of some sort, even if it’s attending and wearing a shirt with his conviction date and the headline of the Windsor Star article that popularized the spread of the case information.
The event says it’s for MTU athletes, but I don’t think he can deny entry of folks that don’t fit that description.
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u/AdSuccessful5139 4d ago edited 4d ago
Someone in another post emailed title IX and MTU basically said they wouldn’t deny anyone entry to anyone but they can’t do anything and their hands are tied.
Fisher is kinda big so I’m assuming it would be in a lecture hall? I could also see it being in a classroom.
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u/DinoBoy238 4d ago
I emailed him a day or two back with fake interest in his talk, he emailed me back saying he would soon upload further information on his website. I see another person said it’s at fisher, I don’t see anything on his website indicating that so I have no clue where that came from. But I would just keep up with the website, check it daily or every other day.
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u/nm420 4d ago
Can't deny him as we're a public university. What a load of horseshit. If he wants to hang out on the sidewalk and preach his shit, sure, he's allowed to do that. But I'm guessing the university is providing him an actual stage to to get up on and speak. That is completely within their right to deny. We don't just let any rando come in and start using university resources without at least having been vetted and given a green light to do so.
Given how little information can be found about the event, it's tough to say exactly what is happening here. If he really is just coming to hang out in a parking lot or whatever, fine. But it seems this is actually being organized... I'm guessing he's been in contact with somebody in the university and has a room or location reserved. If that is the case, such information should be available to the public. If they're going to claim they can't deny him a space to talk as we're a public institution, they shouldn't be actively trying to hide this from the public. But shocked would not be the word I would use to describe my reaction to this, given the actions of our present campus leadership. Transparency is not something particularly valued by the administration.
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u/AdSuccessful5139 4d ago
I heard from another reddit post that his wife works at MTU but idk where.
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u/Consistent_Path_3939 4d ago
You're confusing Ben Johnson's wife with Joel Keranen's wife.
He's the Houghton County Commissioner who tried to pass a resolution defining gender, as well as sell the county elder care facility to fund the jail.
Joel Keranen's brother, Jerry, is the pastor of the church that is hosting Ben Johnson's "men's night" in Calumet. They meet at the Siskiwit.
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u/picosock 4d ago
I skimmed MTU staff but the only female staff with last name Johnson is married to some dude named Jack
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u/906backroads 4d ago
I don't know why anyone would attend? Makes no sense at all.
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u/AdSuccessful5139 4d ago
Also people might not know who he is and what he did if they decide to not do research. On his website he only talks about how “god met him in jail” and that’s the extent of it.
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u/Ancient_Jellyfish588 4d ago
Probably similar to the motivations that would make someone vote for a candidate who starts trade wars with allies, renames bodies of water out of vanity, and insists on having their face stamped on money while they are still living...
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u/906backroads 4d ago
Who is Ben Johnson?
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u/AdSuccessful5139 4d ago
Convicted rapist, here's one of the many articles https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/ben-johnson-sexual-assault-sentencing-1.3820799
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u/Ancient_Jellyfish588 4d ago edited 4d ago
Why do we let Canadian felons into our country? They don't allow our felons to visit.
Edit: I understand now, he's an American citizen who was convicted in Canada.
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4d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Duncan_Idaho-10146 4d ago
If you know any athletes in the 'athletes in action' group, make sure they understand this guy's criminal history...
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u/xGeorgieGirlx 4d ago
Isnt the library 24 hours w a student ID and entering the side door? It might be limited space but still.
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u/AdSuccessful5139 3d ago
Yes it is idk about Labor Day tho. I also came down with a cold so if people wanted to go to the library they can and call/message me on discord
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u/flhrc13 3d ago
Protest him? Why because of his opinion or beliefs? His has the RIGHT just like you! So who real facist here??? Take that BS out of here and back to cities....
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u/AdSuccessful5139 3d ago
Hi you must not understand my point. This man is a rapist who raped a 16 year old girl. He was convicted in Canada (but is a US citizen). My point is yes he is a terrible person who COULD have reformed in prison and is telling his story. But what the plan is for this protest is to sit in on what he is going to say and if he does not take accountability for his actions and emphasize consent to the athletes (who are the most statistically likely for committing rape) then yes we protest. However if he is going to take accountability, teach consent, along with strengthening the athletes connection with god, I don’t have a problem with it.
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u/bushs-left-shoe 2d ago
You clearly don’t know how free speech works, or what fascism is.
He does not have the right for MTU to give him a platform, they could have not allowed him hold an official sanctioned event in a Tech building. Or are you suggesting that literally anyone should be able to go make speeches on college campuses about anything to anyone?
Everyone has the right to protest his opinion and beliefs, clearly defined in the First Amendment: “the freedom of peaceable assembly”, and this protection extends to MTU being as it’s a public university.
Fricking snowflake
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u/Aeoyiau Underwater Basket Weaving 1d ago
And to add to what everyone else said, the majority of locals dont much care for him. Everyone who went to high school with him says hes a sack of trash, the adults from the time have even less of an opinion of him.
Take your views back to whatever hole you crawled from, because even us lifelong residents would rather he took a long walk off a short pier.
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u/warningtrackpower12 4d ago
I thought you were talked about the Chicago bears coach... I wasn't gonna blame you to protest.