Florida Governor Declares State Of Emergency Ahead Of Richard Spencer Speech

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) declared a state of emergency on Monday in preparation for a speech in the state by white nationalist Richard Spencer.

Spencer is set to speak at the University of Florida in Gainesville on Thursday, an event that has already sparked protests on campus. Scott warned a threat of a potential emergency is imminent in Alachua County, the Associated Press reports.

Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell requested the state of emergency, according to a university email sent to students and obtained by HuffPost.

This measure, which came at the request of Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell, is not in response to any specific heightened threat, the email states. It is a process that enables various law enforcement agencies to work together more efficiently. For example, agencies from multiple jurisdictions can be mobilized, if necessary, without bureaucratic delays. We appreciate Gov. Scotts support and commitment to UFs campus safety.

Personal note from Oct 10 avoid the event...&...do not let the message of hate and racism go unchallenged pic.twitter.com/7lCk2BQRbo

W. Kent Fuchs (@PresidentFuchs) October 16, 2017","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"W. Kent Fuchs","author_url":"https://twitter.com/PresidentFuchs","cache_age":86400,"description":"Personal note from Oct 10 avoid the event...&...do not let the message of hate and racism go unchallenged pic.twitter.com/7lCk2BQRbo— W. Kent Fuchs (@PresidentFuchs) October 16, 2017\n","provider_name":"Twitter","title":"W. Kent Fuchs on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/PresidentFuchs/status/919924840529846273","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"59e5319fe4b0ca9f483a26b3","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/florida-state-of-emergency-richard-spencer-university-of-florida_n_59e5319fe4b0ca9f483a26b3","entryTagsList":"us-news,hate-speech,richard-spencer,university-of-florida,@health_depression,@health_erectile,@health_gad,@health_ibs,@health_models","sectionSlug":"us-news","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"education","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.us-news","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":2},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"59e5319fe4b0ca9f483a26b3","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"U.S. News","slug":"us-news","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/us-news","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/us-news","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/us-news"},"relegenceSubjectId":981465,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"World News","slug":"world-news"},"topic":{"title":"United States","slug":"united-states","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/united-states"},{"name":"hate speech","slug":"hate-speech","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/hate-speech","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/hate-speech","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/hate-speech"},"relegenceSubjectId":6412702,"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"topic":{"title":"Social Justice","slug":"social-justice","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/social-justice"},{"name":"richard spencer","slug":"richard-spencer","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/richard-spencer","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/richard-spencer","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/richard-spencer"},"relegenceId":5041974,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Richard Spencer","slug":"richard-spencer","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/richard-spencer"},{"name":"University Of Florida","slug":"university-of-florida","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/university-of-florida","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/university-of-florida","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/university-of-florida"},"relegenceId":3452544,"section":{"title":"Sports","slug":"sports"},"topic":{"title":"University Of Florida","slug":"university-of-florida","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/topic/university-of-florida"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

Personal note from Oct 10 avoid the event...&...do not let the message of hate and racism go unchallenged pic.twitter.com/7lCk2BQRbo
W. Kent Fuchs (@PresidentFuchs) October 16, 2017

Spencer was originally slated to speak on the campus in September, but the university canceled the event as a result of the violent clashes in August between white supremacists and counter-protesters at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The university rescheduled Spencer for a later date, but UF President Kent Fuchs warned students to stay away from his speech.

In a letter to students, Fuchs said no one at the university had invited or sponsored Spencer. Fuchs also denounced Spencers hate speech and asked the UF community to do two things.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

First, do not provide Mr. Spencer and his followers the spotlight they are seeking, Fuchs letter read . They are intending to attract crowds and provoke a reaction in order to draw the media ... Second, although I urge you to avoid the Spencer event, I ask that you not let Mr. Spencers message of hate and racism go unchallenged. Speak up for your values and the values of our university.

The university expects to spend $500,000 in security costs surrounding Thursdays speech, according to the AP.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Related