Florida Declares State of Emergency Before Alt-Right Speech

White nationalist Richard Spencer is scheduled to speak at the University of Florida on Thursday, and authorities are treating him like an approaching hurricane: Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in Alachua County, which includes the Gainesville campus where Spencer will speak, the New York Daily News reports. Large protests are expected.

 In a statement, Scott says that "everyone has the right to voice their opinion," but "we have zero tolerance for violence, and public safety is always our No. 1 priority." University officials say they plan to spend $500,000 on security for the Spencer event, his first at a college since a University of Virginia rally the day before the Charlottesville violence.

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