Neo-Nazi Richard Spencer coming to speak at Auburn
He says he’s going to talk about the alt-right and Trump
White supremacist Richard Spencer is set to give a talk on Auburn’s campus next week.
He confirmed the event in a video posted to Twitter late last night, explaining he will be speaking on Tuesday April 18 in James E. Foy Hall.
Alt-right leader Richard Spencer became infamous after the election for holding a conference where he “railed against Jews and, with a smile, quoted Nazi propaganda in the original German.”
He says: “I will be talking about Trump and the Syria situation, I’ll be talking about the alt-right, I’ll be talking about identity and I’ll certainly be taking questions. If this event is anything like my other ones, it is going to be wild.”
Richard Spencer spoke at Texas A&M back in December – an event that protested by thousands – and said: “At the end of the day, America belongs to white men.”
Many of his recent outings have seen him get punched in the face.
UPDATE
Auburn’s Jewish community has spoken out against the event. Lily Buder, Hillel President, said: “We hope that the university and the community condemn this kind of hate being promoted on campus.” Read her statement in full here.
A petition has also been launched to disinvite Spencer from coming to Auburn – check it out here.
Auburn has responded to our request for comment and say they “strongly deplore” Spencer’s views but “support the constitutional right to free speech.”
A spokesperson said:
“We strongly deplore his views, which run counter to those of this institution. While his event isn’t affiliated with the university, Auburn supports the constitutional right to free speech. We encourage the campus community to respond to speech they find objectionable with their own views in civil discourse and to do so with respect and inclusion.”