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Richard Spencer's visit to UM stalled indefinitely as he halts college tour

Protesters against Richard Spencer at MSU
Cheyna Roth
/
Michigan Radio

White supremacist Richard Spencer might not be visiting the University of Michigan anytime soon.

He announced an indefinite halt to his national college tour Sunday in a video posted on YouTube.

Spencer blames violence between his supporters and protestorsat hisMichigan State University event last week, where more than a dozen arrests were made.

He says the protestors weren't adequately policed, and officers at the event should have been actively protecting those trying to enter.

"And if the campus police, or the state police, the local police aren’t ultimately willing to free up a corridor, then I don’t want simply to repeat Michigan," Spencer said.

Spencer says the idea of the college tour was to engage with students and faculty. He says he expected things to be "controversial and edgy — but fun."
 
"When they become violent clashes and pitched battles, they aren't fun," he said.

Spencer says he's weighing a few different solutions, including not publicizing the date and time of future events.

University of Michigan President Mark Schlisselhas consistently said the university would only rent a venue to Spencer if the event could be hosted safely.

Paulette is a digital media reporter and producer for Michigan Public. She started as a newsroom intern at the station in 2014 and has taken on various roles in that time, including filling in as an on-air host.
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