White nationalist Richard Spencer's talk at Texas University sparks clashes between protestors and riot police

Police clash: Demonstrators clashed with police at a Texas University
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP
David Gardner7 December 2016

Hundreds of demonstrators clashed with riot police at a protest against a white nationalist leader’s speech at a leading US university.

Richard Spencer, who gained notoriety for holding a meeting of the so-called “alt-right” celebrating Donald Trump’s election triumph with Nazi rhetoric, told students attending the speech at the Texas A&M University last night: “At the end of the day, America belongs to white men.”

Mr Spencer praised the President-elect for directly addressing what he sees as a restoration of a historic white supremacy.

“Trump was the first step toward white identity politics in the United States,” he claimed. ‘He is not going to be the last. The alt-right is a new beginning.”

Backlash: A man dressed as a clown protests against Richard Spencer
Spencer Selvidge/Reuters

Some in the audience jeered the speaker, who was caught on camera last month declaring, “Hail Trump’ as a crowd flashed him a Hitler salute.

Outside, emotions ran even higher. Videos and images on social media showed riot police, some of them on horseback, moving protesters from the Memorial Student Centre as Mr Spencer spoke inside the building.

'Alt-right' leader: Richard Spencer claimed 'America belongs to white men'
David J. Phillip/AP

In another video, a woman was dragged from the crowd and onto the floor by police, who tied her hands behind her back with a plastic tie.

“No Nazi’s, no KKK, no fascist USA!” protesters chanted. Police said two people were arrested.

University officials said they did not organise the speech by Mr Spencer, who had been invited to speak by a former student who reserved campus space available to the public.

Texas A&M Senior Vice President Amy Smith said: “To be clear, Texas A&M University, including faculty, staff, students and/or student groups, did not invite this speaker to our campus nor do we endorse his rhetoric in any way.”

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