White supremacist Richard Spencer's University of Florida speech drowned out

Agence France-Presse
Updated
A man wearing a shirt with swastikas on it is punched by an unidentified member of the crowd near the site of a planned speech by white nationalist Richard Spencer, who popularized the term 'alt-right', at the University of Florida campus on October 19, 2017 in Gainesville - Getty Images North America
A man wearing a shirt with swastikas on it is punched by an unidentified member of the crowd near the site of a planned speech by white nationalist Richard Spencer, who popularized the term 'alt-right', at the University of Florida campus on October 19, 2017 in Gainesville - Getty Images North America

Hundreds of protesters shouted down white supremacist leader Richard Spencer on Thursday at a university in Florida, forcing him to leave the stage without delivering his speech.

Only around 30 supporters of the controversial white nationalist made it into the University of Florida auditorium at Gainesville, massively outnumbered by protesters who chanted "No more Spencer!"

Spencer, a leader of the so-called alt-right movement that includes white supremacists, neo-Nazis and supporters of the Ku Klux Klan, was one of the organisers of the August march in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which a far-right supporter drove his car into a crowd of demonstrators, killing a 32-year-old woman.

Fearing a repeat of clashes between far-right demonstrators and anti-fascist protesters, security was tight for Spencer’s speech, with police flooding the streets and Florida governor Rick Scott declaring a state of emergency in the area.

As he stepped on to the stage, Spencer was greeted with a chorus of angry and profanity-laced jeers and chants, drowning out his voice.

White nationalist Richard Spencer, who popularised the term "alt-right" during a press conference at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on October 19, 2017 in Gainesville, Florida - Credit: Getty
White nationalist Richard Spencer, who popularised the term "alt-right" during a press conference at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on October 19, 2017 in Gainesville, FloridaCredit: Getty

"This is a great greeting," he said. "Thank you for the welcome. Are you ready to talk?"

A man wearing a shirt with swastikas is forced away from the scene by the crowd moments after being punched by an unidentified member of the crowd near the site of a planned speech by white nationalist Richard Spencer, who popularized the term 'alt-right', at the University of Florida campus on October 19, 2017 in Gainesville - Credit: Getty
A man wearing a shirt with swastikas is forced away from the scene by the crowd moments after being punched by an unidentified member of the crowd near the site of a planned speech by white nationalist Richard Spencer, who popularised the term 'alt-right', at the University of Florida campus on October 19, 2017 in GainesvilleCredit: Getty

The public stood up, raising their right hands into fists and chanting "No more Spencer! No more Spencer."

A demonstrator yells during a rally outside the location where Richard Spencer was delivering a speech in Gainesville - Credit: Reuters
A demonstrator yells during a rally outside the location where Richard Spencer was delivering a speech in GainesvilleCredit: Reuters

"Are you gonna keep this up the whole night?" Spencer said, describing himself as a "dissident intellectual."

"You sent your message! Why don’t we have a conversation?" he said "So you don’t believe in free speech at all, do you?"

"You are cowardly trying to shut down a movement that is growing and it’s going to stand up for white people", Spencer yelled at the crowd.

Related Video:

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.