Concern over “safe spaces” at a Calgary university boiled over into a confrontation this week between two students, one of whom was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.

The incident — in which Zoe Slusar at Mount Royal University insists Matt Linder remove the hat commonly worn by Donald Trump supporters — came to light Thursday after a video emerged online.

In it Slusar approaches Linder asking him to take the hat off, arguing the slogan stands for hate language.

Linder refuses, insisting that he is in a public place and has the right to freedom of expression. He rejects the suggestion that it’s a hateful message.

The video ends shortly after another student, apparently a friend of Linder, snatches the hat away.

Security responded to the confrontation, but no sanctions are being contemplated.

Melanie Rogers, a spokeswoman for Mount Royal University, said officials are aware of the video but would not comment on specifics.

“Mount Royal University respects individuals who exercise their constitutionally-protected right to freedom of expression, as long as it is peaceful and respectful,” Rogers said.

Since the video appeared online, Slusar has posted a Facebook response explaining her concerns.

“Today (Wednesday) I got into an altercation with a guy wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat. I went up and asked him if he would take the hat off, explaining a university should be a safe space,” she said.

“It was impossible to communicate to him why wearing a hat in support of a movement grown on the seeds of racism, bigotry and exclusion of diversity (sexual and cultural) could make some people afraid,” she added.

Slusar told Postmedia in a written statement Thursday that: “He is allowed to wear the hat.

“As a student, I disagree with what the hat represents,” she said.

“I have diverse friends (culturally and sexually) who would drop a class if the person wearing the hat was sitting in the room with them, because they would feel unsafe. Given the deeper issues of intolerance and oppression represented by the hat, I disagree with it.”

Ian Soliterman, who filmed the interaction said he thinks Slusar “big time overreacted.”

“I’m all for freedom of speech and saying what you believe in, but when you’re infringing upon someone else’s freedom of speech, telling them to take off a hat, especially if it doesn’t directly offend anyone, it just says ‘Make America Great Again,’” he said.

Soliterman said he has been following the American election closely and is a Trump supporter. He said he believes the 'Make America Great Again' slogan refers to economic reasons, not "anything hateful at all."

Students and campuses across North America have been urging the creation of “safe spaces,” ensuring all students are protected from intolerance. In some instances, critics have deemed them to be an exercise in political correctness.

Linder couldn’t be reached for comment.

mlumsden@postmedia.com