This Day in History: 1940-05-23

Students held a large rally in Memorial Hall to protest U.S. involvement in World War II. The anti-war speeches and skits were interrupted when other students, who were in favor of military intervention, threw eggs and fruit onto the stage. The event attracted statewide attention and UNC students were criticized both for their pacifist views in light of growing atrocities in Europe and for their unwillingness to allow free speech on campus.