GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WTXL) - The chants got louder, and the shouts turned to shoves as things turned violent in Gator Country Thursday.
A visit by white nationalist and "alt-right" leader Richard Spencer brought a huge crowd to the University of Florida.
"Just knowing that they are everywhere shows just how effective he is, and his message is getting out," said UF freshman Alexander Veal, "and I think that should be a wake-up call for a lot of people."
"He's informed me about a lot of things. He's a really smart guy," said Martin Poirier, a recent UF graduate and Richard Spencer supporter. "He's smarter than pretty much anyone here protesting against him, so I'm definitely side with him, you know?"
"While they have the freedom of speech, everyone else can and should be using their freedom to speech to promote voices of inclusion," said Lonny Wilk, Florida's associate regional director for the Anti-Defamation League.
With heavy law enforcement presence on campus, more than 2,500 demonstrators showed up to protest Spencer's visit, chanting messages like "We don't want your Nazi hate!" and "Whose streets? Our streets."
"A lot of people think it's better to not give him that attention, but I think, no matter what, they're getting media attention," said UF sophomore Kasia Wiech. "So, we should also be out here to show we're stronger than that."
The National Policy Institute hand-picked who got to hear Spencer speak at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, dishing out 700 tickets. Several people expressed frustration after being turned down, despite having waited for hours to get the chance to listen to what Spencer had to say.
"It's ridiculous," said Emily Moll, who traveled from Orlando. "I tried to come in here with an open mind, but guess what? An open mind isn't allowed. They don't allow us an open mind."
Several local residents made the two-hour trip to Gainesville, saying it was important to show Spencer and his supporters that they don't represent the majority.
"Love over hate," said Lake City resident Kyle Green. "I'm not a Richard Spencer supporter at all. I am on middle grounds on this."
"We're all here to spread the word that love will always prevail," said local activist Lakey Love. "It will always prevail."
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office arrested 5 men in connection to the event: one for possession of a firearm on a campus, one for resisting an officer without violence, and three for a shooting after the event.
The three men arrested were all from Texas. No one was injured in the shooting. You can find the details on that story here.
No law enforcement officers were injured while supervising the event.
