Vince Everett Ellison invokes bible, bashes Democrats, abortion rights in YAF visit

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story misidentified Mike Roberts as a University of Iowa student. He identified himself as a 'concerned community member.'

A strong police presence accompanied an appearance from a conservative author and lecturer Monday night on the Unversity of Iowa campus, which was highlighted by a discussion on DEI and abortion.

Vince Everett Ellison spoke to a small crowd at the Iowa Memorial Union as a guest of the University of Iowa chapter of Young Americans for Freedom. Ellison frequently referenced the bible while deriding Democrats for their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and pro-choice stance.

Past Young Americans for Freedom guests drew ire from other campus organizations and brought large groups of protesters to the IMU, though opposition for Ellison was sparse on Monday night.

Around 75 people took in Ellison’s lecture and Q&A session, which lasted about an hour.

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Organized police presence at IMU

Police set up barricades to separate the sidewalk from the street outside the IMU on Monday and directed attendees through the north door along Madison Street. Officers patrolled the area around the North Room. A heavy police presence accounted for one officer for every 10 people inside and outside the building.

IMU staff also ensured that students were prevented from wandering through other parts of the building while Ellison was speaking. A small, peaceful protest was held outside of the IMU while Ellison spoke inside.

Seven transgender and nonbinary protestors were arrested during Chloe Cole's appearance on behalf of the Young Americans for Freedom in October. Cole is a “detransitioned” 19-year-old whose visit and advocacy drew ire from LGBTQ+ campus groups. She shared her journey from transitioning at age 12 to de-transitioning a few years later. She also spoke against minors attempting to transition.

Each was charged with disorderly conduct and interference with official acts after police said they blocked the roadway and resisted when officers tried to move them from the road.

Five of the seven have taken plea deals, while two others are headed to trial. The first trial begins on March 12.

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Ellison discussed Democrats and DEI efforts

Ellison accused the Democrats and "liberals" of controlling Black souls and lying to Black people "for the past 50-60 years." He pointed to cities across the country led by Democrats, including Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, New York and Philadelphia, and said those cities are home to "murder, mayhem, death (and) destruction."

Ellison also shamed the "left" for bringing DEI to the forefront, saying that he "feels patronized by the thought that Democrats want him to believe that white people are superior or better than he is."

“We are all equal,” Ellison said. “We are all brothers and sisters. We all have gifts. Whenever have you heard of adults who are all the same and do the same thing? God made us all so completely different.”

Ellison also touched on the "Oracles of Iowa City" mural that adorns the side of the downtown parking garage at the intersection of Clinton Street and Burlington Street. The mural features a Black man and the phrase "Weaponize your privilege to save Black bodies."

"The left has a God complex," Ellison said. "Black people think that they're inferior and white liberals think that their God and Black people are praying to white people to save their lives."

Ellison said the "left" has garnered power over the years while people on the "right" have "tried to have conversations with liberals, what they need to do is encourage those people to get professional psychiatric help."

He also drew comparisons between Democratic "disillusion" and Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong.

"Somehow or another, insane people get power," Ellison said. "And when they get power, they do crazy stuff."

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Ellison referenced Supreme Court in abortion discussion

Ellison said abortion has killed more "black and white children" in numbers that far "exceed the death toll seen in World War II." He also claimed abortion "is a way for the government to kill its own people that runs completely opposite to everything the United States is, morally, as a country."

Ellison said he has "always had a large family." His great-grandmother had 14 children, his grandmother had 16 kids and his mother had seven.

He also referenced the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford, which said Black descendants of African slaves were not entitled to citizenship and "had no rights," Ellison said.

"They say the same thing now about children," he said, referencing cases that reaffirmed a woman's right to an abortion.

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A silent sit-in and “Bigot Bingo”

A few crowd members wore dark green bandanas around their arms and silently played games on their phones as Ellison spoke.

A few also played “Bigot Bingo,” a game created by one of the crowd members to raise money for “reproductive rights” and protest a “conservative troll,” according to a website set up for the game.

The game raised $770 for reproductive rights, according to "Bigot Bingo" creator, Mike Roberts. That money will be donated to a local family planning clinic, Roberts said. He thanked Ellison for coming and for helping "the community unite to raise money for local reproductive rights during the Q&A session." Roberts is not a University of Iowa student, describing himself as a "concerned community member."

"My goal was to engage the community that disagreed with this event in a constructive way that did not involve trying to shut down or disrupt the speech itself," Roberts wrote in an email to the Press-Citizen.

"Bigot Bingo" players were encouraged to mark off squares for mentions of "DEI," "God," "trans athletes," "immigrants," "public schools," "Nazis" and more. Each bingo required Roberts to increase his contribution to the local clinic by $10 up to a total of $500.

Others contributed donations as well.

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Vince Everett Ellison bashes abortion rights, DEI at Iowa City visit