Written by DCist contributor Erie Meyer.

John Kerry will be speaking today at 1 p.m. on American University’s main campus about patriotism and the right of dissent as part of a nationwide tour, according to an email sent to students by the university.

After his speech on dissent, however, students will not be allowed to, you know, dissent. While signs and banners are forbidden, as is standard, the Massachusetts Senator and failed presidential candidate has gone a few steps further, scrapping the usual Q & A session.

Recently, AU has hosted speakers including former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, former President Jimmy Carter, and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, all three of whom took questions after their speeches. The questions ranged from the silly – “If you could be any type of animal, which would you be?” of Gorbachev – to the serious – Albright fielded a question about the role the U.S. played in Rwanda’s genocide and the role the U.S. is currently playing in Sudan’s.

According to an email from Karen Gerlach, Director of Student Activities, not allowing questions was “a Kerry decision. [I]t’s their format. [I]t is a talk and a media event mostly. [S]o there will be media interviews after, but just not Q&A from the audience. . . .”

Great. A tightly-scripted media event on the right of dissent.

Tickets are scarce as the event is being held in one of the smaller AU buildings, Kay Spiritual Life Center. Most seats were distributed to schools and colleges, with only 100 reserved for students who had to contact student activities to claim one. DCist will be sure to report on any interesting news to come out of the event.

Photo from kerry.senate.gov.