Protesters block campus streets during conservative Matt Walsh's appearance in Iowa City

Several hundred peaceful protesters − hoisting handmade signs with pro-LGBTQ+ messages − took to the streets near the University of Iowa’s Memorial Union as well as Hubbard Park for several hours Wednesday evening in opposition of an appearance by conservative commentator Matt Walsh.

Booming chants rang out for much of the night as the crowd voiced their displeasure with Walsh's beliefs.

Walsh screened his documentary “What is a Woman?” and spoke in front of a standing-room-only crowd on the university’s campus. He was invited by the UI chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, a student organization.

Walsh’s “What is a Woman?” claims to explore and “question the logic behind a gender ideology movement that has taken aim at women and children,” according to the documentary’s description.

The event was hosted in the union’s main lounge and reached maximum capacity moments before Walsh was slated to speak. The room capacity is set at 1,200 people, according to the IMU website.

University police presence was evident throughout the day inside and out of the memorial union. Dogs sniffed near cars and police remained in constant radio communication with one another throughout the night, coordinating roadblocks and corralling protesters.

A van outside the union suspected by a handful of protesters to belong to Walsh’s traveling party was pelted with eggs around 9 p.m., though no other damage was reported.

Walsh was not seen leaving the IMU after his lecture had concluded.

Protesters decry 'hatred' of transgender people, Walsh's appearance

Demonstrators began gathering in Hubbard Park at 4 p.m. University of Iowa student Maddie Heath was draped in a gay pride flag throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Protesters said the presence of people like Walsh on the UI’s campus and the amplification of voices like his made them feel frustrated.

“I have many trans people in my life that I care about and that’s why I’m here today,” Heath said. “It seems so obvious to me that people should be allowed to exist and get medical treatment that they need to live their best lives. I think this hatred should not be as accepted as it is.”

UI student Cheri Jewell described being around a lot of people who have denied their existence and their beliefs as a queer person while growing up in Iowa.

More: Hundreds of people rally in support of transgender-rights outside Matt Walsh event

“I think it’s irresponsible,” Jewell said of Walsh’s visit. “I am opposed to [student organizations] bringing people here to speak dangerous rhetoric that really harms people and really endangers the people that I know and myself.”

Jewell was one of many protesters who had made signs for the event that read “No place for hate at UIowa" and demanded Walsh's departure.

“At the end of the day, we’re all human beings,” Jewell said. “I really wish that we could all civilly speak and not have people deny each other's existence or identity.”

Those opposed to Walsh’s visit made their voices heard beginning Monday, chalking messages on the university’s Pentacrest including, “Spread love, not hate,” “Hate will not survive” and “Hawks support trans rights.”

Rain early Wednesday wiped out those messages, but many of the demonstrators chalked new messages of support on sidewalks and eventually Madison Street throughout the evening.

Demonstrators enter union; police funnel them out

More than 150 demonstrators had gathered by 5:30 p.m. when the group began to head inside the student union. Doors opened for Walsh's event at 6 p.m. Protesters were stacked four deep on the west side of the union’s main floor for more than an hour, separated from potential attendees by line dividers and a number of Iowa City and University of Iowa police officers.

Once inside, the demonstrators began chanting “Love is love,” “Protect trans kids,” and “Trans rights are human rights,” at the passing crowd as people entered the event. Some protesters ridiculed individuals as they passed by.

Outside, the line to get into the building wrapped down and nearly back into itself.

The doors to the main lounge closed shortly before 7 p.m. amid capacity concerns by event organizers, though several hundred still in line held tickets to the speaking engagement.

The remaining stream of people in line were directed away from the doors, meshing protesters and ticket holders together.

Police had taken control of the chaotic task of funneling people out of the building within 10 minutes and as word of capacity spread, crowds dispersed.

Demonstrators sit in intersection; police close Market and Madison streets

More than 200 demonstrators returned to Hubbard Park after being escorted out of the union, and shortly after, marched around the intersection of Madison Street and Jefferson Street, to the southwest of the union, disrupting traffic.

Protesters with musical instruments played to the tune of the group’s chants directed toward Walsh, while they also belted out Green Day’s “Holiday” and the Star Wars theme, a scene which continued for two hours.

A tense moment arose as Walsh's program neared its end, which sent his supporters into the crowd outside. In one instance, an individual shining a bright, strobing flashlight into the gathering was approached by a group of protesters. The individual twisted the arm of one of the protesters and was then pepper sprayed.

Protesters otherwise mostly limited conflict to words.

Demonstrators eventually sat in the middle of an intersection as the lecture came to a conclusion. Police shut down Market Street and Madison Street north of Iowa Avenue around 7:45 p.m., forcing traffic hoping to leave the IMU parking ramp and nearby Catlett Residence Hall to come to a standstill for roughly 45 minutes.

Just after 9 p.m., with the ramp mostly devoid of any remaining guests and tensions dying down, protesters began to disperse and police left the area.

Five student groups had condemned Young Americans for Freedom

Walsh’s visit came under fire from a number of student organizations, who released a joint statement on social media on April 7 condemning the Young Americans for Freedom at the UI after flyers posted in downtown Iowa City showed an alleged conversation between members of the organization that referred to a transgender person in a derogatory manner.

The five student organizations who spoke out are University Democrats at Iowa, Young Democratic Socialists at Iowa Steering Committee, Ignite UI, Student Advocates for Planned Parenthood UI, and the Environmental Coalition at Iowa.

“Events like these are deceptively marketed to argue the very existence of our transgender peers, but as we have seen today through the words of young conservative leaders on our campus, they serve a greater purpose of belittling the transgender community, fueling further hate that has serious real-life implications,” the statement read.

University Democrats at Iowa member Sam Avery attended the protest on Wednesday and told the Press-Citizen that he believes Walsh’s main motive is to oppress trans people and gender-affirming care.

“Trans medical care is health care and it’s just ridiculous that we’re platforming someone like this on our campus,” Avery said.

Ryan Hansen is a student journalist at the University of Iowa. He is digital editor with the Daily Iowan and a freelance reporter for the Press-Citizen.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Demonstrators protest anti-trans speaker Matt Walsh's Iowa appearance