Protesters drown out white nationalist’s university speech

White nationalist Richard Spencer's speech at the University of Florida last Thursday was disrupted by dozens of protesters with raised fists who booed and chanted, "Go home, Spencer" and “We don’t want your Nazi hate”. The event was the latest example of a public university grappling with debates over free speech when it comes to visits from controversial far-right speakers and ensuing protests, writes Katie Reilly for Time.

In August, Spencer organised the ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which resulted in violence that left one woman dead. Anticipation for the University of Florida speech led Florida Governor Rick Scott to declare a state of emergency, warning that the "threat of a potential emergency is imminent".

At a press conference ahead of his speech, Spencer, who has argued for the creation of a "white ethno-state", defended his previous comments about "peaceful ethnic cleansing" and spoke about white European identity. He criticised the protesters opposed to his presence on campus. "I think the fact that someone might be uncomfortable with someone who is talking about ideas – that seems to be actually justification for me to be here," Spencer said, deriding universities as a "nursery school for young adults".
Full report on the Time site