A controversial speaker invited by a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student group drew national attention this week after the group was initially charged an extra security fee to hold the event.

UWM's Conservative Union invited former Palestinian Liberation Organization member Walid Shoebat to speak in a lecture titled "Why I Left Jihad" Dec. 4.

The group was charged the $1,700 security fee when the usual cost for an event like this is $800 for basic services, like equipment and chair set-up, said Conservative Union president and UWM senior Josh Dirkse.

Before being notified the fee would be dropped Thursday, the university set the cost for the room reservation at $2,500 for the lecture — which includes a security fee.

The Conservative Union paid the university on Monday, forcing them to displace Shoebat's speaking honorarium by $1,000.

"We didn't want them to give them any reason to cancel the event," Dirkse said.

Dirkse said he received an e-mail from university officials Thursday evening saying the university will be dropping the $1,700 security fee, allowing the group to cover Mr. Shoebat's honorarium and helping the Conservative Union's finances, Dirkse said.

"You're going to get people who don't like his ideas or feel threatened, but this is the first time I've ever had to pay for security and I've helped plan over 10 events," Dirkse said.

Dirkse said the security costs were going to help pay for eight armed policemen, 13 contracted police and metal detectors.

In a letter to UWM Chancellor Carlos Santiago sent Wednesday by Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, he asked for "immediate action in preventing administrators at UW-Milwaukee from using an excessive security fee as a tool in discouraging the scheduled speech of Walid Shoebat."

Nass called the security fee "a backdoor attempt at canceling the speech."

"I recognize for some administrators, faculty and students, the very existence of a conservative student group causes great personal discomfort," Nass said.

Dirkse said he was frustrated views like his own "aren't welcome on college campuses."

"I take issue with the fact that the security fee was based on content nature," Dirkse said. "Granted, it's along religious lines and dealing with 9/11 in a post-9/11 world, but I think there is a better way to go about qualifying speakers."

He added university officials called Shoebat a "rabble rouser" and that's why he and his organization were treated differently.

Officials from UWM declined to comment on the topic.

Shoebat's lecture will be held at the UW-Milwaukee Union at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4. The event is free and open to the public.