Protests Erupt at University of Washington Event Featuring Riley Gaines, Olivia Krolczyk

A speaking event at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle featuring Riley Gaines and Olivia Krolczyk, focused on the contentious issue of biological men competing in women’s sports, was met with intense protests that allegedly included the throwing of human feces at attendees. The event, titled "The Fight is Far From Over," took place Tuesday evening at the university’s Ethnic Cultural Theater.

Gaines, a vocal advocate for maintaining sex-based distinctions in athletics, initially reported on social media platform X that protesters were chanting "God is trans." She later updated her post with a more shocking claim: "the protestors just threw feces at the @TPUSA students at check in. Literal human feces."

Local media reports indicated that approximately 150 people gathered near the building to protest the speech. Social media videos depicted demonstrators waving transgender flags and holding signs expressing opposition to Gaines and Krolczyk, some of which contained vulgar language.

Adding to the hostile atmosphere, videos posted by Frontlines, a media outlet associated with Turning Point USA (TPUSA), showed individuals dressed in black, with their faces covered, following event attendees to their cars. These protesters allegedly verbally harassed attendees, labeling them "transphobes" and "scum of the earth" and even suggesting they commit suicide.

"I hope you drop dead behind the wheel. F— you!" one protester was heard yelling in the parking lot, among other similar vitriolic statements. Police were observed escorting some event attendees as the agitators followed them, continuing their verbal barrage.

In response to inquiries from Fox News Digital, the University of Washington stated that there were no reported injuries at the Tuesday speaking event, which was attended by approximately 60 to 70 people and was "held with no disruption."

A university spokesperson acknowledged that "understandably disturbing moments" occurred outside the event but asserted that these incidents did not "reach a legal threshold of direct threats." The spokesperson also emphasized that the "vast majority" of the 70 to 80 people protesting did so peacefully.

"UW police, along with partner agencies, worked very hard to keep our community safe through Tuesday’s event," the spokesperson said, adding, "We are proud of the work our police are doing to keep the community safe, and we will not let the offensive and juvenile actions of a small handful of individuals diminish that."

This incident marks the second time Krolczyk, an ambassador for the Riley Gaines Center at the Learning Institute and a self-described "free speech advocate and defender of women’s sports/spaces," has encountered significant opposition while attempting to speak at the University of Washington.

In January, an event featuring Krolczyk was shut down after she claimed protests turned "absolutely violent." "As soon as I arrived on campus, I was immediately met with confrontation. I had signs and flyers everywhere across campus telling me to leave, rallying people for the protest. It was insane – you couldn’t walk 10 feet without seeing them," Krolczyk told OutKick’s Charly Arnolt at the time.

She continued, "However, it went from 0 to 100 in five minutes. It turned absolutely violent when Antifa showed up. We ended up having about 200 protesters."

The protests targeting Gaines and Krolczyk’s event occurred just one day after 30 anti-Israel protesters were arrested and charged in connection with occupying an engineering building on campus for several hours. That group was demanding that UW divest from aerospace and defense manufacturer Boeing, which has a longstanding relationship with the university.

The University of Washington has become a focal point for demonstrations on a variety of politically charged issues, highlighting the deep divisions and passionate activism present on college campuses across the country. The alleged use of human feces as a form of protest raises serious questions about the boundaries of acceptable behavior and the potential for escalation in political disagreements. The university’s response, emphasizing safety and freedom of speech while condemning violent acts, underscores the delicate balance institutions must strike in managing such events.