Update 2:12 p.m. December 12, 2017— The woman accused of stealing White House correspondent Lucian Wintrich’s “It’s OK To Be White” speech at UConn on Nov. 28 was arrested for charges of attempted sixth-degree larceny and disorderly conduct, reports the Hartford Courant.
Identified as 33-year-old Catherine Gregory, the associate director of career services and advising at Quinebaug Valley Community College turned herself in on Sunday.
“Ms Gregory’s reaction was measured and understandable compared to other people’s reaction in light of Wintrich’s apparent goal of inciting a violent response,” Gregory’s Attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, told the Courant. “That, of course, would not be covered by the first amendment.”
Gregory is free on $1,000 bond and is reportedly on leave from her job due to death threats she’d been receiving through email.
According to the Courant, Wintrich, who appeared to grab Gregory during the incident to retrieve his notes and was subsequently charged with second-degree breach of peace, appeared in court on Monday. However, the case against him was dropped.
“I obviously think it’s wonderful that finally the system corrected itself,” Wintrich said in a statement to the media, the Associated Press reported. “We don’t want to create a precedent that people can walk up to speeches they find disagreeable and steal them. I mean that’s really not what America is about.”
Schoenhorn said he will “vigorously defend this case,” and Gregory is expected in court today.
Original Story November 29, 2017— Lucian Wintrich, a White House correspondent for the far-right website The Gateway Pundit, was arrested Tuesday night after he forcefully grabbed a woman who stole papers from him at a University of Connecticut appearance. The speech he was in the middle of delivering was called, “It’s OK To Be White.”
According to the Hartford Courant reporter Rebecca Lurye, the woman involved in the altercation told her Wintrich “went for her face” and assaulted her.
Woman takes papers from the podium in front of Lucian Wintrich
BREAKING: @lucianwintrich appears to attack a @UCONN student during speech after she took something off podium. pic.twitter.com/WAcNYAak7c
— Kevin Galliford (@KallMeKG) November 29, 2017
Campus police quickly intervened, and a university spokeswoman, Stephanie Reitz, said Wintrich was later charged with breach of peace, then released on $1,000 bail, the Hartford Courant reported.
RT @MarioBooneTV #BREAKING @UConn cops just arrested @lucianwintrich for assaulting a student during his “It’s ok to be White” speech. Cops have cleared the lecture hall. @WTNH #CTnews pic.twitter.com/YkoKoPwlDo
— Corey (@CJsucitymvp) November 29, 2017
Nearly 350 people attended the event sponsored by the UConn College Republicans. In the days leading up to its occurence, students took down fliers posted around the school as a means of protest. The Hartford Courant reports that the UConn College Republicans had advertised the event as an “opportunity to meet someone on the front lines of the media versus Trump battle,” and they’d welcomed members of the community to come and voice their concerns — and, man, did they oblige.
During the speech that largely focused on America’s stark political divide, Wintrich made disapproving remarks about illegal immigrants among other groups and claimed that Africans “were being wrongfully applauded for wearing their native garbs,” the Daily Campus, a UConn newspaper, reported.
“If you want to get anywhere in politics today, if you want to really affect change, you have got to understand this,” read Wintrich’s speech. “Understand that what one side of America thinks is normal and ordinary will totally horrify the other. When you can predict those reactions, you can pick your battles. And when you pick your battles, you win the war.” You can view the speech in its entirety on the Gateway Pundit.
Wintrich also reportedly took sips from a glass of milk, which has been frequently used as a symbol of white supremacy.
Chants of “Go home, Nazi” and “Black lives matter,” were yelled from the audience, the majority of which were there to protest by holding signs and disrupting Wintrich’s presentation. According to the Daily Campus, a window in the auditorium was also shattered. You can view the UConn College Republican’s Facebook live with some of this footage.
Reitz revealed that the 19-year-old UConn student who allegedly tried to the smashed window was later arrested and charged with breach of peace and criminal mischief. He was reportedly released on $1,000 bail.
Students flocked outside to await Wintrich’s exit, and some even tried bombarding the police car once he was escorted inside, reported the Daily Campus. A smoke bomb was thrown and the scene appeared to be full of chaos.
Apparently someone threw something that cause smoke at the doors where students are congregated at Schenker Hall pic.twitter.com/cfiYQU77sT
— Rebecca Lurye (@RebeccaLurye) November 29, 2017
“This was a very disappointing evening,” UConn’s president, Susan Herbst, said in a statement. “Thoughtful, civil discourse should be a hallmark of democratic societies and American universities, and this evening fell well short of that.”
Wintrich has been working for the Gateway Pundit as a White House correspondent since January 2017, according to his website. The Gateway Pundit describes itself as one of the top political blogs in the nation but has been called a “conspiracy-enthusiastic site” by the Washington Post. It has received blows from other sources like the New York Times for its pro-Trump coverage during the 2016 election.
Lucian Wintrich reacts to the incident
Wintrich, once freed, went straight to Twitter to address the incident.
“It’s really unfortunate that some of the kids at UConn felt the need to be violent and disruptive during a speech that focused on how the leftist media is turning Americans against each other,” Wintrich tweeted. “Tonight proved my point.”
It’s really unfortunate that some of the kids at @UConn felt the need to be violent and disruptive during a speech that focused on how the leftist media is turning Americans against each other. Tonight proved my point.
— Lucian B. Wintrich (@lucianwintrich) November 29, 2017
It is unclear if the woman involved was a student — some news outlets are pinning her as one — but Wintrich took to Twitter to say that she was in fact a community college professor.
Among other posts, Wintrich shared none other than his mug shot where he’s sporting a penguin tuxedo paired and a self-satisfied grin.
Well… maybe this made it all worth it… here is my actual mug shot from tonight: pic.twitter.com/SzSrw4GsgJ
— Lucian B. Wintrich (@lucianwintrich) November 29, 2017
“Well…” he tweeted, “…maybe this made it all worth it.”
