White Nationalist Richard Spencer Denied UF Speaking Platform

GAINESVILLE, FL — The Sunshine State will not be the “next battlefield” for violent clashes between white supremacists and counter-protesters if University of Florida’s president Kent Fuchs gets his way. On Wednesday, Fuchs announced his decision to deny the National Policy Institute’s request to rent space for a speaking engagement by its president, white nationalist Richard Spencer.

Citing concerns about campus security in the wake of last week’s violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, Fuchs said the requested Sept. 12 appearance by Spencer will not happen on his watch.

Get the Patch newsletter and alerts in your inbox.

“I find the racist rhetoric of Richard Spencer and white nationalism repugnant and counter to everything the university and this nation stands for,” Fuchs said in a statement. “That said, the First Amendment does not require a public institution to risk imminent violence to students and others. The likelihood of violence and potential injury – not the words or ideas – has caused us to take this action. Denying this request for university space is the safest and most responsible decision we can make.”

The university also said “continued calls online and in social media for similar violence in Gainesville, such as those decreeing: ‘The Next Battlefield is in Florida,’ ” contributed to the decision to deny Spencer's request.

University officials noted that Texas A&M University also made a similar decision on Monday to cancel an appearance by Spencer on Sept. 11.

“NPI is an independent organization dedicated to the heritage, identity, and future of people of European descent in the United States, and around the world,” the organization explains on its website.

• See also: Florida Hate Groups: Map Shows Active Racist Organizations

Spencer has said in the past he is not a white supremacist or a racist, according to ABC news. Instead, he labels himself “alt-right,” saying white nationalists support ideologies of white separatism.

Saturday’s “Unite the Right” rally in Virginia left one counter-protester dead and has increased racial tensions across the country. The rally was planned by white supremacist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, to protest the removal of a Confederate monument. Since Saturday’s violence, riots and rallies have broken out across the country. In Durham, North Carolina, an angry mob claiming to be anti-fascists toppled a century-old statue of a Confederate soldier outside a courthouse. Four people have been arrested in that case, according to CNN. They face multiple charges, including two felonies – inciting others to riot and participation in a riot with property damage in excess of $1,500.

AP Photo/David J. Phillip – Richard Spencer speaks at the Texas A&M University campus Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, in College Station, Texas. Texas A&M officials say they didn't schedule the speech by Spencer, who was invited to speak by a former student who reserved campus space available to the public.