Gov. Rick Scott signed a seven-page executive order Monday declaring a state of emergency for Alachua County ahead of avowed white nationalist Richard Spencer’s UF speaking event Thursday.
The declaration activates Florida’s Mutual Aid Plan, which will allow local law enforcement to better coordinate with state officials and law enforcement from counties, Scott wrote in the order. Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell said she requested the emergency declaration after multiple phone conversations with Scott as recently as over the weekend.
Spencer is set to speak at 2:30 p.m. at the Phillips Center for Performing Arts, located at 3201 Hull Road. The National Policy Institute, which Spencer leads as president, will pay $10,564 to rent the venue and is distributing tickets on the day of the event, according to Alligator archives.
Citing instances of violence and civil unrest at Spencer’s previous speaking engagements, Scott wrote in the order that he felt “the threat of a potential emergency is imminent.” Scott also authorized the Florida National Guard State to be activated if needed at the discretion of adjunct general Maj. Gen. Michael A. Calhoun.
Darnell sought the emergency aid primarily to gain more access to resources, rather than out of an expected risk, though she hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a possible incident, she said.
“We’re not trying to alarm anyone, but we do recognize what’s happened in other communities,” Darnell said. “We don’t have a good idea of whether there will be a crowd or how many people there will be. We want this community to be as prepared as possible.”
Now with state assistance, Darnell said it’s possible some security costs incurred by local law enforcement agencies and the county could be eligible for reimbursement. Agencies including Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Gainesville Police and University Police will pay more than $500,000 total in security for the event, according to archives.
The section of Southwest 34th Street between Southwest Second Avenue and Southwest 20th Avenue will close from about 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. for vehicle traffic in light of Spencer’s appearance, GPD spokesperson Officer Ben Tobias wrote in an email.
Tobias said the stretch of Hull Road from Southwest 38th Terrace to Southwest 20th Avenue will be available to people traveling to and from UF Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute, located at 3450 Hull Road, Museum Walk Apartments, located at 3500 SW 19th St., and the Hilton UF Conference Center, 1714 SW 34th St. Residents of apartment complexes south of Southwest Second Avenue will still be able to access their homes from Southwest 34th Street, he said.
County officials feel Scott made the right call in issuing the emergency by granting more resources and aid to offer security at the event, county spokesperson Mark Sexton said.
“We’re glad that he did that; certainly it’s better to be safe than sorry and always to be over prepared if possible,” Sexton said. “We hope for the best but prepare for the worst.”
UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes said the executive order allows UF and Darnell to work with other agencies to get more officers for backup.
“It kind of removes some barriers and allows us to work with cities and counties and other enforcement agencies across the state,” Sikes said.
Monday morning, protesters and organizers of the group No Nazis at UF held a press conference on the Plaza of the Americas, where they voiced their safety concerns with Spencer’s upcoming visit.
After the press conference concluded, protesters marched to Tigert Hall to give their list of demands to President Kent Fuchs.
A 20-year-old UF sociology junior and leader of No Nazis at UF, Chad, who declined to give his last name, read out the demands at the press conference.
The group is asking Fuchs to cancel Spencer’s speaking event. If Fuchs cannot cancel the event, they are asking him to change restrictions on prohibited items so protesters can bring water bottles and backpacks for medical supplies. If he cannot complete these demands, then they are asking for Fuchs to step down as president.
Fuchs was in a meeting and could not speak to the protesters, Charlie Lane and David Parrot, members of Fuchs’ cabinet, said. They met the protesters outside Tigert Hall to hear demands and relay the message to Fuchs.
“We came here to protest President Fuchs because we feel that he’s been complicit in helping neo-Nazis have a platform on campus,” Chad said. “We think that he is providing a danger to students and community members, and we want that changed. We don’t expect anything from this administration. They’ve shown time and again that they don’t care about marginalized students.”
Sikes said that as of press time, she is not aware of any changes to address the demands of the protestors.
Sikes said water bottles are not allowed because they can pose as a safety hazard for protesters. Previously, water bottles have been frozen, filled with urine or filled with acid and used as weapons. Sikes said that protesters are allowed to walk back and forth between the protest and their cars if they need refreshments.
Protesters will not be allowed to park near the area, Sikes said.
“No Nazis at UF should keep its attention on the organizers who are coming — that they don’t like their rhetoric — and instead they’re attacking the administration,” Sikes said.
On Monday, UF released a statement to UF students regarding Scott’s declaration, reassuring students that the declaration was not because of any elevated threat.
“This measure, which came at the request of Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell, is not in response to any specific heightened threat,” the statement says. “It is a process that enables various law enforcement agencies to work together more efficiently.”
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