{"id":1630,"date":"2017-04-19T15:53:49","date_gmt":"2017-04-19T19:53:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/idavox.com\/?p=1630"},"modified":"2017-06-22T12:52:46","modified_gmt":"2017-06-22T16:52:46","slug":"court-order-forces-university-to-host-dick-spencer-students-force-fleeing-neo-fascists-off-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/idavox.com\/index.php\/2017\/04\/19\/court-order-forces-university-to-host-dick-spencer-students-force-fleeing-neo-fascists-off-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"Court Order Forces University to Host Dick Spencer, Students Force Fleeing Neo-Fascists Off Campus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Much love to antifa and students who came out to oppose Dick’s latest effort in posturing!<\/strong><\/p>\n

WASHINGTON POST<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Self-proclaimed white nationalist Richard Spencer<\/a> spoke at Auburn University in Alabama Tuesday night after a federal judge reversed the school\u2019s cancellation of the event on First Amendment grounds.<\/p>\n

He was greeted by protests that authorities said remained peaceful. A brief scuffle\u00a0led to three arrests.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pretty happy with the way things have gone,\u201d Auburn police chief Paul Register told the Plainsman,<\/a> the student newspaper. \u201cIt could have been a lot worse. I attribute the peaceful nature to the students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Auburn police spokesman Capt. Lorenza Dorsey told<\/a> the Associated Press three people were arrested for disorderly conduct, though it remains unclear if they were protesters or attendees of Spencer\u2019s talk. A video released<\/a>\u00a0by AL.com showed a man with spiked hair and a bloody face on the ground, his hands cuffed behind his back.<\/p>\n

Hundreds gathered before his talk around Foy Hall, where Spencer appeared, according to AL.com<\/a>.\u00a0The video showed a portion of this crowd chanting, \u201cNo alt-right. No KKK. No racist USA.\u201d One protester carried a sign reading, \u201cFighting Fascism an American Tradition Since 1941.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\nKimberly Costen, Auburn freshman, yells at supporters of Richard Spencer\u2019s right to speak. (Albert Cesare\/Montgomery Advertiser via AP)<\/span><\/div>\n

Spencer indeed cited race during his speech, saying, \u201cThe alt-right is about being a white person, being a European in the 21st century,\u201d and later adding, \u201cThere\u2019d be no history without us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Controversy surrounding Spencer\u2019s appearance stretched back for a week before Tuesday\u2019s talk, though. Many attempted to bar Spencer from speaking at Auburn and had succeeded until a federal judge intervened.<\/p>\n

Cameron Padgett, identified in court documents as an Atlanta-area resident, paid $700 to rent out the 400-seat Foy Auditorium\u00a0at Auburn for Spencer to speak. When the talk was announced, many student groups voiced concerns that Spencer \u2014 perhaps best known for shouting \u201cLet\u2019s party like it\u2019s 1933\u201d<\/a>\u00a0at a conference of white nationalists in Washington \u2014 might incite violence on campus.<\/p>\n

Initially, Auburn released a statement<\/a> that said, \u201cWe strongly deplore his views, which run counter to those of this institution. While his event isn\u2019t affiliated with the university, Auburn supports the constitutional right to free speech.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Friday, though, Auburn canceled the event, posting <\/a>this brief statement: \u201cIn consultation with law enforcement, Auburn canceled the Richard Spencer event scheduled for Tuesday evening based on legitimate concerns and credible evidence that it will jeopardize the safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mere promise of divisive speakers like Spencer has previously ignited violent riots. The University of California Berkeley canceled an appearance by Milo Yiannopoulos after protesters\u00a0caused $100,000 worth of damage<\/a> to its campus and threw fireworks, rocks and Molotov cocktails at buildings and police. At least six were injured. The protest at Auburn were a contrast to what happened at Berkeley.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to allow that to happen,\u201d Spencer told the Plainsman, Auburn\u2019s student newspaper, after the cancellation announcement. \u201cAuburn is going to rue the day that they made this total bulls\u2014 decision. I will not back down. I will be there. This is going to be so much bigger than they ever imagined.\u201d<\/p>\n

Police, meanwhile, told the student paper, \u201cBased on an assessment of possible civil unrest and criminal activity during a requested event, it is the opinion of the Auburn Police Division that allowing Mr. Richard Spencer to proceed with his appearance at Foy Hall on April 22 would pose a real threat to public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Padgett sued Auburn, which as a public institution must adhere to the First Amendment\u2019s free speech guarantees. The lawsuit stated: \u201cVarious minority\u00a0advocacy groups of Jews, Blacks and immigrants and left-wing\/liberal groups demanded that no forum be afforded for the expression of views that contradict their own and which they find unhelpful for their identity group agendas and political agendas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spencer previously advocated for an all-white country, stating<\/a>\u00a0in 2013, \u201cWe need an ethno-state, so that our people can \u2018come home again,\u2019 can live amongst family and feel safe and secure.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge W. Keith Watkins in Montgomery, Ala., Tuesday barred Auburn from blocking Spencer, stating there was no evidence that he advocates violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiscrimination on the basis of message content cannot be tolerated under the First Amendment,\u201d he wrote in the ruling.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a moment to savor,\u201d Spencer said in a video shot outside the Montgomery courthouse and posted to Twitter after the ruling. \u201cWe just achieved a great victory. It was certainly a great victory for the alt-right, but it\u2019s a great victory for free speech, for identifiable movements around the world, really.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Follow<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/span>Richard 🇸🇾 Spencer<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n
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Victory in Auburn<\/p>\n

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    777<\/span>777 Retweets<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n

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    2,058<\/span>2,058 likes<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Auburn released a third statement<\/a>, urging any protesters to remain peaceful.<\/p>\n

    Auburn University supports the rights and privileges afforded by the First Amendment. However, when the tenets of free speech are overshadowed by threats to the safety of our students, faculty, and staff, we have a responsibility to protect our campus and the men and women who unite our academic community. The decision to cancel the Richard Spencer event last week was informed by leadership from all of the university\u2019s shared governance groups and the Auburn Police Division, all of whom articulated legitimate concerns for the safety and security of our campus.<\/p>\n

    This afternoon, a federal judge ruled that Auburn must allow Spencer to speak in the Foy Auditorium tonight. It is now more important than ever that we respond in a way that is peaceful, respectful, and maintains civil discourse.<\/p>\n