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White nationalist Richard Spencer tried to speak in Florida but protesters weren't having it

Crowds gathered to speak out against the alt-right leader.

Nicole Gallucci

on October 19, 2017

White nationalist Richard Spencer tried to speak in Florida but protesters weren't having it

Reporters surround white supremacist Richard Spencer. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Richard Spencer definitely did not receive a warm or sunny welcome from the University of Florida.

On Thursday, massive crowds gathered to protest the white nationalist and alt-right founder's visit to campus. As he attempted to give a speech on his beliefs, he was overwhelmed by chants condemning white supremacy and neo-Nazism.

In protest of Spencer's arrival, students marched together in the streets outside the university, carrying signs and chanting against white supremacists, the KKK, and fascism.

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Meanwhile, inside the auditorium crowds chanted phrases like "SAY IT LOUD, SAY IT CLEAR, NAZIS ARE NOT WELCOME HERE" and "GO HOME, SPENCER," making it nearly impossible for the alt-right leader to get a word in on the mic.

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A striking image of a man wearing a shirt covered in swastikas getting punched in the face was captured amidst the protests. Footage shows those around him spitting and yelling at him as he walks through the crowd.

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The incident was reminiscent of when Spencer was punched in the face earlier this year.

As CNN noted, in anticipation of Spencer's arrival Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for Alachua County on Monday, so authorities had advanced notice and were present on the scene.

"I find that the threat of a potential emergency is imminent," Scott wrote in the executive order, explaining that protests and counter-protests have broken out at Spencer's visits to other universities in Alabama, Texas, California, and Virginia in the past.

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This was Spencer's first college campus visit since leading the Charlottesville, Virginia, "Unite the Right" rally back in August. The violent clash in Charlottesville resulted in the death of Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old anti-hate protester.

Topics Activism Politics

Nicole Gallucci

Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.