Student in MAGA Hat Booted from Vigil for New Zealand Victims

A York University student showed up at a vigil for the victims of the New Zealand shooting wearing a MAGA cap. One bold female student removed it from his head.

An unnamed student of the Toronto university reportedly attended the vigil mass for the 49 people who were killed in a Muslim mosque in New Zealand last week.

According to the unofficial story from York University student Raneem Ayoub on twitter, the young man began arguing with two men at the door of the room, disturbing other attendees as they were closing with prayer. The posts are found below.

Ayoub uploaded the video with an explanation of what happened. In the video, we see a young woman walk up to the student with the red Make America Great Again cap and say:

"These people don't owe you an explanation for anything."

Ayoub stated that before she started recording him, the young Trump supporter said the vigil was meaningless. He further stated that Muslims are doing this around the world, Ayoub told Yahoo Lifestyle in an interview.

As the video continues, another student wearing a hijab confronts the young man saying,

"There was a [expletive] massacre and you're wearing a symbol of racism, get the [expletive] out. Get out of here right now!"

With that, the crowd began to chat "Get out!" repeatedly, prompting the man to leave. As he does so, the hijabed girl follows close behind him until she flicks his hat off.

Someone else in the crowd urges her not to touch him, however. And the video ends at that point.

In other tweets addressing the incident, Ayoub stated:

“He’s also been known by other students for always showing up to events similar to this one wearing the MAGA hat."

Ayoub, sharing her experience of the encounter, also told Yahoo Lifestyle that when she "saw he was wearing a MAGA hat, [she] was shocked since [she'd] never seen it worn before.

She further explained in a tweet:

"My school is so welcoming, the vigil was not only for the muslim community but it was being heavily supported by many other communities at our school (including the jewish and christian community). The problem is not the students who took offence but the man himself."

York University released its own statement to the magazine through their deputy spokesperson Yanni Dagonas:

“York is one of the most diverse and inclusive universities in Canada and our commitment to diversity and inclusion is a great strength. All community members are expected to conduct themselves in a way that promotes an atmosphere of civility, diversity, equity, and respect in their interactions with others. Our community should be able to enjoy a safe environment for work and study, free of violence, harassment, intimidation, and bullying.”

The statement further said they were committed to "freedom of inquiry, freedom of expression, and equal rights and dignity for everyone."

The MAGA cap is a representation of strong support for President Donald Trump. The head of state, however, has made statements and taken actions deemed highly controversial and even prejudiced towards Muslims. Last year, Trump incurred a travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries.

Additionally, the terrorist who carried out the horrific act on Friday showed support for Trump in his 74-page manifesto. It stated, “As a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose? Sure."

The president shared his condolences for the victims of the shooting on Friday. In a tweet, he wrote:

“My warmest sympathy and best wishes goes [sic] out to the people of New Zealand after the horrible massacre in the Mosques. 49 innocent people have so senselessly died, with so many more seriously injured. The U.S. stands by New Zealand for anything we can do. God bless all!”