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Penn State University has canceled an upcoming event due to public safety concerns after increased threats of violence.
According to the New York Times, the event was set to be co-hosted by Gavin McInnis, a founder of the far-right group Proud Boys. Several members of the Proud Boys, who were at the center of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, were indicted for their participation.
This week, a peaceful protest against the rally turned violent before the decision was made to scrap the event altogether.
University president Neeli Bendapudi issued a statement about the protest turned violent, saying co-host Alex Stein entered the crowd and raised tensions before things boiled over.
The event had been billed as a “politically provocative” comedy.
“It is unclear which individuals on-site then resorted to physical confrontation and to using pepper spray against others in the crowd, including against police officers,” she said in a statement.
No one was injured during the incident.
