ATHENS, Ohio (WKYC) — Despite receiving an angry reception from students during a visit to Ohio University on Monday, gun rights activist and social media personality Kaitlin Bennett says she plans to return to the Athens campus.
When Bennett and her 'Liberty Hangout' tour arrived at OU, students greeted her vehicle by throwing beverages in her direction and giving her the middle finger. In a tweet, Bennett referred to the incident as 'a riot' and suggested that President Trump strip funding from Ohio University.
"This is what happens when a Trump supporter goes to a college campus," Bennett tweeted along with video of the incident. "Leftists at @ohiou started a riot when @Joelpatrick1776 and I showed up, and the @oupolice let it happen. I think @realDonaldTrump should strip funding from universities like this that harbor terrorists."
Soon after, Ohio University followed with a statement of its own, disputing Bennett's characterization of the episode as a riot.
"Contrary to allegations circulating on social media, the incident did not rise to the level of a riot," Ohio University stated. "There was strong language and allegations that some unknown person(s) in the crowd splashed water, but there were no reported injuries or violence, and no one was arrested during the event.
The university added that its police department received no prior notice of Bennett's plans to come to the campus.
Several hours after her visit to Athens, Bennett tweeted that she plans to make a return.
"I will absolutely be returning to @ohiou's campus again, and next time I'll bring an army of gun owners for an open carry walk through campus. You can't keep us away and you can't keep us silent. Just like Donald Trump, we will always win," she wrote.
Bennett is best known for her viral photos on Kent State University's campus, where she posed with her gun and graduation cap in 2018. Since then, she's become a controversial figure on social media.
Bennett says she's proud that she's best known for being a proponent of gun rights, something that's helped her gain a following. Since her viral graduation photo gained traction, Bennett has become the host of several videos in which she takes to the streets to interview strangers about polarizing viewpoints, like gun control and abortion.
She says her trip to Ohio University was to ask students Presidents Day trivia questions like "who were the first three presidents?"
During a 'Let's Be Clear' conversation with 3News' Will Ujek last year, Bennett said her point is to stand for no regulations when it comes to guns.
"No gun control at all," she explained. "No background checks, no restrictions. If the government and military can have it, we should be able to have it."
Bennett says her end game is to expose the left for what she says is intolerance, as well as to inspire others to take a stance with her.
"...If I want the whole world to know something about me, it's that I carry," she added.
