Young Americans for Liberty

History

During the 2008 Presidential election, Republican Representative Ron Paul stirred a large grassroots movement, especially on college campuses around the United States. As a result of this, students began to form organizations on campus under the banner of Students for Ron Paul.

After the election, the movement continued and eventually splintered off to create Young Americans for Liberty, which expanded into a broader effort to support liberty.

Young Americans for Liberty has hosted several national events since its inception: Bringing Ron Paul to college campuses, protesting the War in Iraq, protesting the Transportation Security Administration — which received substantial recognition online, hosting political boot camps, promoting the Constitution, protesting the government to reduce the National debt of the United States, and pushing for members to attend CPAC.

Meanwhile, to raise awareness about liberty-minded beliefs, each chapter performs a variety of events on campus, including fundraising for liberty-minded causes, hosting speakers, or tabling/protesting. For example, beginning in March 2011, Young Americans for Liberty groups protested U.S. military intervention in Libya.{ Besides protests, bringing speakers that are essential towards the liberty movement are invited by Young Americans for Liberty groups, such as Ron Paul, Thomas E. Woods, Justin Amash, and Gary Johnson.

National Conventions

Since 2009, Young Americans for Liberty has hosted annual National Conventions in Arlington, Virginia. The 2014 YAL National Convention was the organization's largest yet, with more than 300 students in attendance. Speakers included Sen. Rand Paul, Ron Paul, and a video address by Glenn Greenwald. The 2016 convention included speakers such as Reps. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) and Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Judge Andrew Napolitano, and Cato’s David Boaz. The national conventions have rapidly grown in size since the beginning, with each having more attendees than the last. The 2009 convention had 60 attendees and the 2016 convention had 382 attendees.

Visualize the Debt

In March–April 2011, Young Americans for Liberty held their largest event-to-date, reminding college campuses and their local communities of the massive federal debt. Over 70 Young Americans for Liberty chapters participated in the event, which received nationwide press. The event was designed to protest the federal government to push towards lowering the National Debt by presenting petitions to members of Congress.

Federal lawsuit against the University of Hawaii

In April 2014 two students at the University of Hawaii filed a federal lawsuit after they were prevented from handing out copies of the US constitution.

CPAC 2010

During the February 19, 2010 CPAC panel, 2 Minute Activist: Saving Freedom Across America, Students For Liberty's Alexander McCobin opened his remarks by thanking the American Conservative Union for welcoming GOProud as a co-sponsor of the event. California Young Americans for Freedom chairman Ryan Sorba followed with less than kind words for McCobin, Students For Liberty, Young Americans for Liberty's Jeff Frazee, and the American Conservative Union condemning the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) for inviting GOProud.

Free cigarettes

In 2011, the official University of North Texas chapter of the YAL protested a potential outdoor smoking ban on campus by handing out cigarettes in an effort to get students to sign a petition opposing the ban. When university officials reprimanded them, the group claimed they would seek legal aid and that restrictions on handing out the cigarettes was a violation of their First Amendment rights. The group collected 206 signatures for the petition. The university implemented the smoking ban at the beginning of 2013.

Milo Yiannopoulos

In a Facebook post perceived by YAL chapter leaders as an official blacklisting of Breitbart News Tech Editor Milo Yiannopoulos in May 2017 YAL National Field Director Ty Hicks urged chapter leaders not to invite the conservative firebrand to speak at their events.

A day before the YAL University of California, Santa Barbara chapter had defied a regional field director's instructions to prohibit Milo from promoting presidential candidate Donald Trump when he spoke at the university - which she believed could jeopardize the national organization's 501(c)3 non-profit status. The event proceeded the next day with Milo asking audience members to address a cardboard cutout of Trump and chapter members wearing pro-Trump clothing as they hand-carried Yiannopoulos into the event.

YAL claimed the staffers Facebook post did not constitute an official YAL position.

Relationship with other organizations

YAL is similar to Young Americans for Freedom, an older and more conservative group, and Students for Liberty, a more left leaning group.

YAL hosted events at the International Students for Liberty Conference.

YAL often works with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education to file suit to overturn unconstitutional speech codes on university campuses.