Richard Spencer Cancels ‘College Tour’ After Being Forced To Talk In A Barn
Image by YouTube
By Aiden Pink March 12, 2018
White supremacist leader Richard Spencer announced on Sunday that he was cancelling his “college tour,” less than a week after giving a speech at a barn at Michigan State University that had fewer people attending inside than were arrested outside.
“At least for the foreseeable future, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to host an event that’s wide open to the public, in which we name the date and the time,” Spencer said in a video released to YouTube. “Because if we do that in advance, Antifa are going to do their thing.”
Spencer’s tour had been marred from the beginning, with his first stop at the University of Florida last fall ending with three supporters being charged with attempted murder after firing guns at protesters.
Subsequent universities put onerous conditions on Spencer’s appearance, such as speaking at inopportune times like spring break or paying large security deposits.
Spencer had attempted to sue multiple public universities to force them to let him speak on First Amendment grounds, but he hit a setback when his lawyer quit last week.
Spencer said in the video that he had hoped his event would be “controversial and edgy — but fun.”
“When they become violent clashes and pitched battles, they aren’t fun,” he said.
Excitement for Spencer’s talk at Michigan State was so low that he was forced to try to give tickets away outside a local Macy’s.
Contact Aiden Pink at pink@forward.com
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