In the usual calm of the UNT Denton campus, the afternoon of March 29 was disrupted by a group of protestors, who declined to identify with any organization.

The group, eventually identified as part of the Nation Street Preachers Conference being held in Arlington, Texas, yelled at passersby while holding giant signs that read as offensive as, "Got AIDS Yet?", supposedly a synonym for the word "gay". Other signs stated, "[Black Lives Matters] Are Racist Thugs", "Every Real Muslim is a Jihadist", and "ABORTION IS MURDER", with bloody hand prints adorning the sign.

The supposed leader, wearing a white, long sleeved sweatshirt with other offensive claims in red print, spoke through a loud megaphone, flooding the peaceful space outside of the university's library with the group's preachings.

The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, has a population of around 38,000 diverse students, many of which would not put up with the group. Students called for a counter-protest, and as a result, many flooded the area and chanted, played loud music, and one student even blasted their trombone to drown out the protestors.

Protesting is an important tactic used to push a message to the public, and the act of protesting is prominent in our American history. But protesting as a result of a high school shooting is different from protesting against sexuality and life choices like abortion in irrelevant, public spaces. Protestors who target institutions of education are uncalled for, unprompted, and disruptive.

Universities and learning campuses should be seen as safe spaces for those who are pursuing higher education. Hate speech protestors target diverse public spaces and pull tactics to shame those who are innocently going about their school days. Children visiting universities for field trips should also be taken into account for these safe spaces.

Hate speech protestors have a right to speak their mind in public places, but universities should do more to protect their students and staff from those who try to disrupt the peace. Hate speech has no place on diverse and inclusive educational institutions, but as of now, the shining hope of the future is the students who engage in counter protesting with positive messages.