Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Columbia

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran, spoke yesterday at Columbia University’s Alfred Lerner Hall. Ahmadinejad was invited to speak at the School of International and Public Affairs’ World Leaders Forum by Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger.

Hundreds of protesters — denouncing the invitation and Ahmadinejad himself — lined Broadway near the school. The demonstration continued through Ahmadinejad’s speech at the school.

Inside the campus gates, gatherers were slightly less loud than the crowd on assembled on Broadway. They played anti-war music, held signs, shouted their opinions and entered into debate with each other, finally sitting on a large patch of lawn to watch the forum on a jumbo screen. More screens were set up for Columbia students, faculty and staff in the Journalism School.

A small, but vocal minority of those assembled in and around the school thought that Bollinger’s invitation was appropriate, as it offered a chance for the United States and students at Columbia to hear what Ahmadinejad had to say and opened topic of a nuclear Iran up to debate.

On both sides on the campus gates President Bush was targeted along side President Ahmadinejad.

To read more detailed stories, written by my writing class, visit The Columbia Journalist.

A visit by President Ahmadinejad brought Columbia students and faculty out onto the campus lawn.

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