A public appearance by white nationalist Richard Spencer began tensely, but mostly peacefully, at the University of Florida on Thursday as police, protesters and white nationalists gathered for a planned speech that prompted Florida’s governor to declare a state of emergency.
But inside the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, on an isolated corner of the campus, students with tickets booed heavily and chanted a profane phrase against Spencer as he came onstage.
“We represent a new white America!” said one speaker who came onstage to introduce Spencer.
“Black lives matter! Black lives matter! Black lives matter!” student protesters chanted in response.
Later, Spencer’s supporters, some of whom filled the front rows of the auditorium, chanted back: “You will not replace us! You will not replace us! You will not replace us!”
“Go home, Spencer! Go home, Spencer! Go home, Spencer!” protesters chanted after Spencer began speaking.
Spencer’s last major public appearance with other white nationalists ended with a riot in Charlottesville, Va., in August.
Police and media helicopters circled over the area Thursday as hundreds of protesters marched in opposition to Spencer’s appearance. The protesters were met by a blockade of police wearing protective riot gear.
“From what I’ve learned, this guy just preaches hate,” said one of the marchers, LaMonte Kendrick, 22, of Gainesville. “What he says doesn’t make sense. It’s like the ‘60s or something. Gainesville’s already had enough hate and racism in its history.”
Spencer gained national prominence in recent years for his support of President Trump and for his views calling for a separate nation for white people. The apparent resurgence in white nationalism in the United States has sparked anti-supremacists to mobilize with their own efforts, which have included nonviolent demonstrations and pressure campaigns on companies providing services to white nationalists and sometimes violent attacks intended to drive white nationalists out of public spaces.
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Spencer has turned his sights to public universities, where 1st Amendment protections of free speech limit officials’ ability to deny Spencer a platform. Officials at the Florida college have confirmed they’ve spent roughly $500,000 on security for the event, and police from around Florida have gathered in Gainesville to assist local police.
About 700 free tickets were available for the event and would be distributed outside the venue on a first-come, first-serve basis, according to Spencer’s website, AltRight.com. Weapons have been banned from the event, along with a wide range of other items, including water bottles, masks, shields and hats.
“Everyone is welcome at #SpenceratUF,” Spencer tweeted before the event Thursday. “This is going to be an important dialogue for the entire community.”
Before the event, Spencer, dressed in a light-colored suit, held a news conference with dozens of journalists and expounded on his views about the “ideal” of a white nation-state, while denying that he was a “supremacist” or that he was responsible for the violence in Charlottesvillen August, where one anti-racist protester was killed.
Police corralled protesters into a single line outside the venue and turned away attendees for various reasons, including a military veteran who walked with a cane, which was deemed a potential weapon. One woman said she was denied entry by Spencer’s supporters at the gate because she was with an African American man. Some journalists with cameras and notebooks were denied access, but were allowed entry without those items.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for Alachua County on Monday, saying in his executive order a “threat of a potential emergency is imminent,” and that law enforcement must defend “public safety and security will be safeguarded and critical infrastructure, and public and private property will be protected.”
These measures, which came at the request of Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell, are not in response to any specific threats, according to the sheriff’s and governor’s offices.
University officials announced that most classes would meet as normal Thursday. The school asked students to boycott Spencer, whose views university President W. Kent Fuchs has described as “repugnant.”
A group calling itself “No Nazis at UF” planned to stage a protest outside the event. About 3,000 people indicated on Facebook that they planned to participate. Students also staged a sit-in at a student Senate meeting earlier in the week.
The neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer urged Spencer supporters who couldn’t get tickets to carry out “flash mobs” throughout the city, including at a Jewish center, a black culture center and the Gainesville Sun newspaper.
“The point is to confuse the situation and to create public attention, to make it feel like the entire city is taken over by our guys,” wrote site editor Andrew Anglin, who also urged followers to dress normally, leave signs or flags in their cars and not bring weapons.
The Anti-Defamation League, which monitors hate groups, warned about attending the event.
“This type of activity is dangerous. We are working with local officials to ensure everyone’s safety,” the group tweeted. “We encourage people to avoid this event all together. Showing up will only play into their hands.”
Only one arrest appeared to take place before the event. Police said an armed security guard, hired by a media outlet covering the event, had illegally brought a gun on campus.
