Jenna Fischer supports 'tense' student protest that interrupted her lecture at DePauw University

Jenna Fischer went to DePauw University to discuss her new book — and what happened next was a twist she wasn’t exactly expecting.

The Office alum, who’s currently appearing in the show Splitting Up Together, was at the liberal arts school in Indiana on Tuesday to speak with theater students about her career, which is detailed in her new tome, The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide. In the middle of her lecture, attended by 1,450 people, a protest involving about 100 students broke out over the school’s handling of racist messages found on campus. There have been at least four incidents at DePauw recently during which racist, homophobic, anti-Muslim, or anti-Semitic messages were reported.

Fischer had been warned ahead of time that a protest was a possibility, so she looked calm as it all went down. It started with someone blowing a whistle, and then protesters, holding signs, started their rallying cries. The students demanded safety, protection, and security from the school, which is investigating the incidents. One onlooker named Shannon Samson described the scene of the protest to the Indy Star, saying, “It was very tense.”

Samson shared video and photos of the protest:

Fischer made it clear to the students that she was on their side, according to footage from the event posted by the newspaper. At one point, a protester yelled, “It’s not OK.” The actress agreed, “It’s not OK.” She later told the group, “In my personal opinion, oftentimes justice requires disruption and interruption of our scheduled lives.” The protest was over 15 minutes after it began.

DePauw spokesman Ken Owen, who was interviewing Fischer and was seated next to her onstage, told the Indy Star that Fischer “sat there, she listened, she got very emotional. It affected her. I think her reaction was absolutely spot on, and I think respectful.” Owen added that the protest changed the tone of the interview — and he didn’t ask many of his original questions. “It didn’t seem right to talk about The Office,” he said.

The actress, who stuck around after the lecture to sign books, addressed the protest in a post on Twitter on Wednesday. Again, she showed her support, noting that students should never feel at risk or have to endure hate or bigotry.

Fischer’s message ended by noting that she would be donating her entire lecture payment to the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Trevor Project in honor of the DePauw students.

Not all of the event was tense, though — well, at least according to this video:

At another point, a male student asked Fischer if she would attend a formal with him this weekend. Spoiler: Fischer, who is married to Lee Kirk, has plans.

Fischer’s book details her journey to success in Hollywood, detailing her struggles breaking into the biz. She told students it took years until she got a speaking role and many more years before she landed the role of The Office‘s Pam Beesly, a character she made into a fan favorite.

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