Terry Jones Visit the University of California at Irvine For Speech - Parts of Campus Shut Down

[StarWarsMan]

[release][h2]Rev. Terry Jones Rally Leads to UC Irvine Closures Amid Security Concerns [/h2]A portion of UC Irvine was shut down Thursday for security reasons amid an appearance from Rev. Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who drew nationwide criticism in 2010 for threatening to burn a copy of the Quran.

Jones was scheduled to make an appearance on campus for a rally from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., although that now appears to be in jeopardy.

"There are death threats that the campus has received," Jones said. "They have shut down the so-called flagpole area."

The university could not confirm any direct threats, although Tom Vasich of the school's communication department said there was some sort of security issue.

"Intelligence received by UCI Police indicated suspicious activity that raised concerns about the safety of the event," school officials wrote in a statement.

"As a precaution, the area has been closed and no event will take place in this area. Other campus activities will continue as normal. Further information will be forthcoming as it becomes available," according to UCI.

Anteater Plaza, Ring Road, Pereira Drive and the flagpole area were closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, according to the school. University officials sent a text alert to students at 10:33 a.m. announcing the closures.

Jones said his team was served with papers by university police.

"If we come back on the campus today to do our rally, we will be immediately arrested," he told NBC LA via phone.

Jones, who is running for president, is working with his attorneys to see if the rally is still possible, saying "we have no intention to cancel."

The pastor is no stranger to security concerns. He described Thursday's incident as "not unusual."

Since his public effort to burn a copy of the Quran last year, he's received hundreds of death threats. When on the road, his team is often escorted by law enforcement, and he constantly changes hotel rooms.[/release]

[url=]Source[/url]

[release][h2]Pastor Terry Jones' plan to visit UC Irvine spurs security move[/h2]UC Irvine closed parts of its campus Thursday after police there detected suspicious activity associated with a planned visit by the Rev. Terry Jones, the controversial Koran-burning pastor, according to university spokesman Tom Vasich.

Although Jones was denied a permit to speak in Anteater Plaza, he had told the university he was still planning on coming.

The Florida pastor is known for threatening in 2010 to burn the Koran on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and eventually did so last March, sparking an international reaction that included protests in Afghanistan, where effigies of the pastor were burned in the streets.

Vasich said the campus is a free-speech zone but that Anteater Plaza requires a permit and another organization had reserved the 11:30 a.m. time slot.

Anteater Plaza, Ring Road, the flagpoles and Pereira Road are now closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic until further notice for security reasons, Vasich said.

Campus police have communicated to Jones and he will not be allowed on the campus.

Vasich wanted to confirm this was precautionary and there have not been any security threats yet.[/release]

[url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/pastor-terry-jones-uc-irvine.html]Source[/url]

Thanks to him, the major bridge connecting the student shuttle system to the campus had to be closed, and everyone had to be redirected down the road and far away from the center of campus. Thankfully, I wasn't near where he was supposed to speak, so I could avoid having to walk all the way around.

[tsar]

Now that is incredibly stubborn.