A speech by conservative pundit Ann Coulter was canceled at the University of Ottawa late Tuesday amid concerns that protesters would become violent.
The speech was called off moments before it began by organizers of the event, who feared for Coulter's safety, the Canadian news network CTV reported. Organizers called off the speech after someone triggered a fire alarm as people were entering the building, CTV said.
Tuesday's incident followed a speech Coulter gave Monday at the University of Western Ontario in which she told a Muslim student to "take a camel" instead of flying, CTV said.
The camel comment came after the student asked about Coulter's earlier remarks that Muslims shouldn't be allowed on airplanes and should take "flying carpets" instead. The student, Fatima Al-Dhaher, said she did not own a flying carpet and asked Coulter how she should travel.
"Take a camel," Coulter responded.
Al-Dhaher and some other students walked out after the camel comment, CTV reported.
Coulter said Tuesday that her comments were intended as satire.
"I can say it a lot quicker with a joke, and by the way, they wouldn't be bringing me in here for a speech if I never told a joke, if I never used satire," Coulter told CTV. "It's not so much a joke, it's satire because there's a political point behind my saying that they can take flying carpets."
Coulter is well known for making inflammatory comments. In a column after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, she wrote that the United States "should invade [Muslim] countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers."
After the shooting death of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, Coulter said, "I don't really like to think of it as a murder. It was terminating Tiller in the 203rd trimester. ... I am personally opposed to shooting abortionists, but I don't want to impose my moral values on others."
On her contempt for traditional media: "My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building."
In a related matter, Coulter told CTV she would file a human rights complaint after she received an e-mail from the University of Ottawa provost, Francois Houle, about free speech limits in Canada.
The e-mail, which was leaked to news organizations, said "promoting hatred against any identifiable group would not only be considered inappropriate, but could in fact lead to criminal charges" under Canada's Charter of Rights.
Coulter told CTV that since she is from an identifiable group -- "I'm a Christian, I'm a conservative, I'm a female" -- she is the victim of a hate crime and will file a complaint with Canada's Human Rights Commission.
Coulter is scheduled to speak at the University of Calgary on Thursday.
