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UNLV鈥檚 Free Speech Zone Too Far from Tonight鈥檚 Presidential Debate

People wishing to express their opinions outside tonight鈥檚 third and final presidential debate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas鈥 (UNLV鈥檚) Thomas & Mack Center should prepare for a long walk. A 鈥溾 has been set up at 4700 Paradise Road, more than half a mile from the debate hall.

estimates that those who want to exercise their First Amendment rights will need to walk for 13 minutes to reach the free speech zone from the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal quoted UNLV administrator Vince Alberta, who justified the segregated area, saying it provides 鈥渢he most direct line of sight to the Thomas & Mack Center and closest available area to working media.鈥

FIRE Legislative and Policy Director (and UNLV alum) Joe Cohn approximates the distance from the debate hall to the free speech zone as more than 10 football fields, adding that UNLV鈥檚 actions go too far to be considered a legally permissible 鈥渢ime, place, and manner鈥 regulation.

鈥淭hat protesters in UNLV鈥檚 free speech zone can see the Thomas & Mack building is irrelevant if people going into the building cannot hear what they have to say or even know that they鈥檙e there,鈥 Cohn said. He noted that free speech zones have historically been used to keep protesters away from political events, and are now routinely used to quarantine all kinds of speech on college campuses.

鈥淯sing a presidential debate, which is emblematic of the free exchange of ideas, to instead stifle citizens鈥 speech on a public university campus is, in many ways, the ultimate irony,鈥 Cohn said.

According to the Review-Journal, Alberta implied that there might be other options for students wishing to express themselves tonight.

鈥淭he public expression area is an option, but not the only option,鈥 Alberta said, but didn鈥檛 elaborate.

FIRE has reached out to both Alberta and UNLV鈥檚 Assistant General Counsel Susan Carrasco O鈥橞rien for clarification on where, precisely, students may speak out on campus tonight. Specifically, we asked whether they will be able to exercise their First Amendment rights closer than half a mile from the debate hall.

We鈥檒l let you know what we hear.

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