MISSOULA — A forum on the future of populism scheduled for next week in Missoula has been canceled because speaker Steve Bannon is not available.
The former White House strategist was initially scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at the 2018 ACE Advances in Computer Technology and Entertainment Conference planned at the University of Montana from Dec. 10-14.
However, organizer Adrian Cheok canceled the conference in mid-November, saying researchers were backing out, in part because of Bannon and because the conference was being co-presented with a forum called the International Congress on Love and Sex with Robots.
Cheok said Bannon would still speak in Missoula on Dec. 11 at what was called the inaugural Athenian Parrhesia Free-Speech Forum.
University spokeswoman Paula Short said the university received an email early Tuesday canceling that event.