Fights erupt, 12 arrested ahead of white nationalist's speech in Michigan

By Steve Friess

 

FILE PHOTO: Richard Spencer, a leader and spokesperson for the so-called alt-right movement, speaks to the media at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., February 23, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

 

EAST LANSING, Mich. (Reuters) - A least a dozen people were arrested on Monday after supporters of Richard Spencer clashed with protesters outside a Michigan college campus where the white nationalist was scheduled to speak.

 

Among those arrested were Gregory Conte, director of operations for Spencer's organisation, the National Policy Institute, according to Evan McLaren, the group's executive director.

 

Fistfights broke out on a road leading to Michigan State University in East Lansing as about 40 backers of Spencer walked up a road leading to the campus, where roughly 500 demonstrators had gathered, surrounding an armoured police vehicle.

 

Police in riot gear quickly stepped in to break up the altercation, handcuffing six or seven people, then forming a skirmish line along the roadside to prevent further clashes.

 

But sporadic fisticuffs continued to erupt outside the campus as officers escorted attendees into the building in small groups.

 

Media representatives for the university could not immediately be reached for comment. A spokeswoman for the Michigan State Police said the department was assisting with crowd control but declined to say how many people had been detained or arrested.

 

"These people are scum. We chased them away. This is our free speech being exercised," said David Sherman, 25, who drove to the campus from Indianapolis to protest Spencer's event.

 

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors U.S. hate groups, lists Spencer as “a radical white separatist whose goal is the establishment of a white ethno-state in North America.”

 

An outspoken supporter of Trump during the 2016 campaign, Spencer rose from relative obscurity after widely circulated videos showed some Trump supporters giving Nazi-style salutes to Spencer during a gathering in Washington to celebrate the Republican candidate’s win. Trump condemned the meeting.

 

In October, protests broke out as Spencer gave a speech at the University of Florida in Gainsville.

 

Two months earlier, a 20-year-old man said by law enforcement to harbour Nazi sympathies drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters after white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing a 32-year-old woman.

 

(Reporting by Steve Friess in East Lansing, Mich.; writing by Dan Whitcomb; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Susan Thomas)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-06

 

On second-though, maybe we should "replace" them?

 

Putin must be happy.

 

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"These people are scum. We chased them away. This is our free speech being exercised," said David Sherman, 25, who drove to the campus from Indianapolis to protest Spencer's event.

 

Not taking sides here, but, David Sherman says it is his free speech being exercised to protest against something he is not happy with, but is he not using his right to free speech to block the rights of another citizen to their free speech ??

“I don't agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”   Or not.

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Two months earlier, a 20-year-old man said by law enforcement to harbour Nazi sympathies drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters after white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing a 32-year-old woman.

What in the world does this sentence have to do with Mr. Spencer, the National Policy Institute, or the event at MSU? Classic US reporting. No bias whatsoever. (cough)

3 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

Not taking sides here, but, David Sherman says it is his free speech being exercised to protest against something he is not happy with, but is he not using his right to free speech to block the rights of another citizen to their free speech ??

 

It seems a trait of the left. liberals and PC types, that 'free speech" and the rights to free speech only apply if they agree to what's being said. 

12 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

It seems a trait of the left. liberals and PC types, that 'free speech" and the rights to free speech only apply if they agree to what's being said. 

It is a trait of people of all persuasions who lack the ability to articulate their beliefs verbally.

This (and the Charlottesville killing) is a preview to what will ensue.  ....and divisions will get more pronounced with a mega-divider in the WH.  Trump supporters have most guns and ammo, and are relishing an excuse to use them.  

8 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

Not taking sides here, but, David Sherman says it is his free speech being exercised to protest against something he is not happy with, but is he not using his right to free speech to block the rights of another citizen to their free speech ??

With free speech comes responsibility.

5 hours ago, timendres said:

What in the world does this sentence have to do with Mr. Spencer, the National Policy Institute, or the event at MSU? Classic US reporting. No bias whatsoever. (cough)

White supremacists.

14 hours ago, webfact said:

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors U.S. hate groups,

It also lists pickup artists as 'Male Supremacists'

The SPLC gives all the appearance of being a terrorist organization, and the FBI have recently stopped  co-operating with them.

8 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

It also lists pickup artists as 'Male Supremacists'

The SPLC gives all the appearance of being a terrorist organization, and the FBI have recently stopped  co-operating with them.

Nonsense. This fake news story touted by the right wing gutter media began because the FBI scrubbed the SPLC  from one of its web pages along with the Anti Defamation League. The FBI explained that it was because this page should only list government resources. In fact, the SPLC is still listed on on FBI page having to do with hate crimes. Here's a link to that page:

https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes

It's listed along with lots of other organization that must read like a nightmare to white supremacists and gay bashers.

Troll post and reply removed.