BELOIT, Wis. (AP) — A liberal arts college in southern Wisconsin canceled a lecture by former Blackwater head Erik Prince after protesters disrupted the planned talk.

Students piled chairs onto the stage where Prince was to speak at Beloit College and pounded on drums Wednesday night. The school announced the event was canceled around 8:15 p.m.

Employees for Prince's previous firm, Blackwater, were implicated in the deaths of 14 civilians in Iraq in 2007.

In a statement, the college said "open dialogue on all topics is one of our core principles," and the school condemned the behavior of protesters.

Prince's appearance was to be hosted by Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative student organization.

The Beloit Daily News reports Prince spoke later at a hotel and said his free speech rights had been violated.