GAINESVILLE, Fla. — About 200 student protesters crowded into the University of Florida’s Emerson Alumni Hall on Monday and refused to leave in protest of U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, the lone finalist to be the school’s next president.
The protesters waved signs and filled the hall’s lobby chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho. Ben Sasse has got to go.” Their shouts could be heard inside the President’s Ballroom, where Sasse was speaking at one of three forums scheduled as part of his campus visit.
Sasse, 50, paused a few times and smiled as the chants grew louder, then ended the student session about 15 minutes early. The protesters then flowed into the ballroom where the Nebraska Republican was scheduled to meet next with university employees.