Filed under: Action, Anti-fascist, Featured, IGD, Southeast
A large crowd of over a thousand mobilized on the University of Florida campus where Richard Spencer, along with neo-Nazi organizers Mike Peinovich and Elliot Klein, leader of Identity Evropa, spoke before about 20 supporters. Inside of Spencer’s talk, hundreds chanted and disrupted the event, screaming, “Fuck you Spencer!,” “Black Lives Matter,” and “Go Home Spencer!” About two rows of neo-Nazis wearing white polo shirts and khakis sat together, far away from the much larger crowd. Thomas Rousseau, the 18 year old leader of Patriot Front was captured on film as he tried to turn away from a camera. Rousseau leads a group that is an offshoot of Vanguard America, and at the Unite the Right demonstration led a squad of neo-Nazis that included James Alex Fields, who later would be arrested for the murder of Heather Heyer. Organizers on campus report the mobilization was a smashing success, with Spencer largely unable to speak and ending his event early. Outside of the venue, the large crowd chased and beat up various neo-Nazis.
For anyone in #ATL payng attn to #SpencerAtUF: A #GSU student has been booking these gigs & suing schools https://t.co/RPCpyzyAIB @wabenews
— Lisa Hagen (@TwitrHagen) October 19, 2017
People on the ground earlier in the day report that the police presence was massive and very well militarized, with police blocking off roads, containing counter-demonstrators, and acting as security for the neo-Nazi event. Later in the day the were on hand to provide security for the neo-Nazis as they left the venue. Police also searched people for weapons, kept out medics from entering the area, and had shooters stationed on rooftops. Neo-Nazis with the event controlled who did and didn’t get a ticket, as well as filtering out journalists.
When distributing tickets, the Nazis turned away racial minorities, women, and anyone wearing jackets, scarves, and hats. #noNazisAtUF
— Flo Bo (@FloBonarto) October 19, 2017
Before the event began, Richard Spencer did a press conference in front of a room full of press, ironically at the same time as op-eds in The Washington Post and New York Times were published that implored demonstrators to go home and ‘ignore’ neo-Nazis who were amassing on campus and protected by police with over $600K in their tax dollars. Despite writing that it was protests which forced journalists to cover white nationalists, only a little over a week ago, news agencies across the country facilitated a photo op of Spencer and around 30 neo-Nazis who returned to Charlottesville, Virginia, in a flash demonstration that lasted 10 minutes. In the proceeding week, various news agencies and radio stations gave Spencer large amounts of air time, helping to platform and mainstream his views, while promoting his speaking event in Florida.
Neo-Nazis associated with @RichardBSpencer print hit list of #Gainesville synagogues + other places for targeting after event. #NoNazisAtUF pic.twitter.com/vEBvi2EvNb
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) October 19, 2017
In the lead up to the event, neo-Nazi websites such as The Daily Stormer and AltRight.com both published details about how Alt-Right trolls should mobilize for the speech as well as get tickets. The Daily Stormer also encouraged people to engage in ‘flash demonstrations’ at a selected group of targets such as a Jewish center, a black museum, and a newspaper. Before the event, both IGD and Unicorn Riot documented that Spencer would be utilizing neo-Nazi groups that were present at Unite the Right, including the organization that included the suspected murdered of Heather Heyer. Unicorn Riot also showed in previously unpublished Discord chats, that another group, Anti-Communist Action, had planned acts of bombing and murder against counter-demonstrators, including “ISIS” style attacks.
The success of Gainesville signals that Alt-Right and neo-Nazis rallies are losing steam; the number of Spencer supporters was extremely low despite the almost month of build up in Alt-Right circles. Meanwhile, antifascists were able to continue to turn out increasingly large numbers, while solidifying a confrontational approach. This ability to mobilize mass and militant crowds also shows that we have been able to build solid ties post-Charlottesville and have been successful to a point in combating and attacking Centrist and liberal narratives which try and defuse and desolidify grassroots autonomous social struggles.
Stay tuned for this page for our social media roundup and updates.
Standing on top of the police barricade and raising a fist. #NoNazisAtUF pic.twitter.com/sJWU4IuxZw
— Grex Media (@grxmd) October 19, 2017
#NoNazisAtUF pic.twitter.com/JCdZ37krer
— Revolutionary Horizon (@rhpdxsatx) October 19, 2017
Chants of “Go home Spencer” breaking out in the Philips Center drowning out everything he has to say#SpencerAtUF pic.twitter.com/LA7NYRMI7a
— TheResistance Report (@AntiTrumpReport) October 19, 2017
Eat them before they eat you. #NoNazisAtUF
— Reyah Wolfe???️? (@MireyahWolfe) October 19, 2017
Majority of Gainesville audience stands, fists raised and begins chanting "Go home Spencer!" pic.twitter.com/hG7bzC3znY
— Lois Beckett (@loisbeckett) October 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/glss_dbl/status/921100382159417344
Before & after#NoNazisAtUF #RichardAtUF #RichardSpencer #antifa pic.twitter.com/vnJNkhaUCJ
— New York City Antifa (@NYCAntifa) October 19, 2017
He is one of the organizers of the #NoNazisAtUF protest. Here were his other thoughts: #spenceratUF pic.twitter.com/Qn5mZtUPbP
— Andrew Pantazi ? (@apantazi) October 19, 2017
Huge crowd chants as they follow a man with a swastika on his shirt @TheAlligator #SoenceratUF pic.twitter.com/i0boc51zgv
— Romy Ellenbogen (@romyellenbogen) October 19, 2017
YUUUUUGGGGGEEEEE! ANNNTIIIIFFFFAAAA! https://t.co/PkoIm8Lk2L
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) October 19, 2017
“Not in our town, not in our state. We don’t want your Nazi hate”@WUFTNews pic.twitter.com/N1MSgGlYl4
— Dolores Hinckley (@DoloresHinckley) October 19, 2017
It’s fourth down for the fascists. Get loud, Gators!
— Garrett Garner-Wells (@GGW_CO) October 19, 2017
most of the auditorium is empty, hundreds chanting down spencer and hundreds more outside #nonazisatuf #gatorschompnazis
— AllOutATL (@AllOutAtlanta) October 19, 2017
Where were you when the Nazis came to UF. #NoNazisAtUF #Diversify pic.twitter.com/lCnOuISm5l
— Destiny Ellen (@Hollow_Bound) October 19, 2017
Never again! #NoNazisAtUF https://t.co/MHgg78ICok
— Pearson Bolt (@PearsonBolt) October 19, 2017
If Spencer's strategy is to outlast chanting Gator fans, he has vastly underestimated the resolve of the Gator Nation #SpenceratUF
— Eric Conrad (@EricConradFL) October 19, 2017
nazis about to leave the stage, unable to shut down the free speech of protesters
"go home nazis
go home" #nonazisatuf #spenceratuf— AllOutATL (@AllOutAtlanta) October 19, 2017
#SpencerAtUF optics just went up a level! Great job goys, the ethno-state will be here by Christmas! #NoNazisAtUF pic.twitter.com/OXHtkuuD9M
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) October 19, 2017
Maybe @RichardBSpencer's mom can pay for him to be a better organizer. #NoNazisAtUF https://t.co/j7B24ttkKc
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) October 19, 2017
spencer walks out on stage while crowd chants "fuck you spencer" #nonazisatuf #fuckrichardspencer
— AllOutATL (@AllOutAtlanta) October 19, 2017
Spencer gave up the mic already #nonazisatuf #fuckrichardspencer
— AllOutATL (@AllOutAtlanta) October 19, 2017
I didn't pass Nazi inspection so the cops kicked me out and threatened to arrest me. Cops and klan hand in hand #nonazisatuf pic.twitter.com/Z9SYBdz3nN
— Matthew/Dareoth (@Dareoth) October 19, 2017
Circle of demonstrators growing at 34th and Hull Road. @wuftnews #spenceratuf pic.twitter.com/2LWd83frKw
— Michael Stone (@Michael__Stone) October 19, 2017
Seems the free speech of the crowd inside the neo-Nazi talk is overwhelming the Alt-Right trolls. "FUCK YOU SPENCER!" #NoNazisAtUF https://t.co/pI6z0smvZZ
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) October 19, 2017
Hundreds just marched down 34th street and on campus. A few snapshots for @WUFTNews #SpencerAtUF pic.twitter.com/brA4QLxDID
— Grace King WBIR (@gracelking) October 19, 2017
Boot boy caught a fist in the mouth apparently and was escorted away with a trail of protestors following. Cops escalated #NoNazisAtUF pic.twitter.com/Aohaf09Ux0
— Mike Isaacson (@VulgarEconomics) October 19, 2017
Tim Pool has been spotted filming at UF. He recently caused controversy in Sweden over a film critical of immigration. #NoNazisAtUF pic.twitter.com/vjPTLOBLQS
— Grex Media (@grxmd) October 19, 2017
The people united will never be defeated. Also free Palestine #NoNazisAtUF pic.twitter.com/tZ7SYNimQV
— Mike Isaacson (@VulgarEconomics) October 19, 2017
Mike Peinovich, who sells oven mitts in reference to Jews being put into ovens during the Holocaust given a platform by @UF and police. https://t.co/78ZKWvC5RW
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) October 19, 2017
In front of the Curtis M. Phillips Center. #NoNazisAtUF #SpencerAtUF pic.twitter.com/1qnX186k6g
— Eric Spring (@ericleespring) October 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/MitchEmerson/status/921078842177015808