A screen grab from a video of an appearance by Michelle Malkin on Fox News. Image from video
LEWISTON — Here we go again.
The Gendron Franco Center announced Thursday night that they have canceled an appearance by conservative commentator Michelle Malkin, who had been scheduled to speak there Friday night.
Malkin, hosted by a group of Republican students from the University of Maine, had agreed to speak in Lewiston after the original venue in South Portland opted not to host it.
The Franco Center followed suit Friday night.
“At this time, the Maine Federation of College Republicans event has been canceled,” according to the Franco Center Facebook page.
No explanation was given.
According to Malkin’s team, plans were being made for Malkin to deliver her talk at Martindale Country Club in Auburn, instead. By late Thursday night, that plan had been finalized and Malkin was scheduled to talk at Martindale at 7 p.m. Friday.
Malkin’s talk was originally scheduled for the Portland Sheraton at Sable Oaks in South Portland, but was canceled, prompting allegations the university was trying to stifle free speech.
A spokesman for the University of Maine said Tuesday that the university communicated to the hotel that the University of Maine College Republicans are not an official student group on campus but did not suggest that the event be canceled.
On the Franco Center Facebook page Thursday night, more than a dozen people weighed in on the post, thanking the center for putting a halt to Malkin’s speech. None listed specific reasons why they were opposed to the appearance.
Malkin is an American conservative blogger, political commentator, author and businesswoman. Her weekly syndicated column appears in a number of newspapers and on websites.
Malkin has several television and radio interviews planned for Friday morning during which she’s expected to talk about the controversy over her Maine appearance.
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