On the day of Richard Spencer’s speech at UF, Eran del Castillo, a UF alumna, was scrolling through her Twitter when she saw someone she recognized.
It was Martin Poirier, a UF history alumnus who graduated in Spring 2017, standing with signs declaring: “founding fathers = alt right.” He was also arguing with some of the anti-Spencer protesters who approached him.
While at UF, del Castillo served on the executive committee of the Speech and Debate Team. Poirier was a member.
“I was disgusted that someone I knew, and especially someone who was on the UF Speech and Debate team, would be there promoting hate speech and explicitly promoting ethnic cleansing,” she said.
Poirier, 23, said he doesn’t agree with Spencer on every issue but went to the speaking event because it was a large far-right political moment.
“I generally have to give my support toward the political faction that I’m somewhat aligned with,” he said.
Poirier defines himself as far-right but not alt-right, which he said is more racially focused. He said he cannot be a white nationalist because he is one-eighth Native American, and his mother is from Latin America.
He said he agrees with Spencer more than he disagrees with him and thinks Spencer focuses too much on a white state. Although Poirier said he thinks a white state would be effective, he thinks it’s a foolish goal. He said there are many races who would be able to live in a right-wing government and support their policies.
At the event, Poirier went into the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts to hear Spencer’s speech but was frustrated with the screaming from protesters and left early.
Afterward, Poirier said an angry mob tried to take his signs and his wallet.
“Everyone out there needs to put down the moral outrage and try to see us from a historical perspective,” he said. “Try to see the fact that what you consider the alt-right is simply what people 50 years ago, 60 years ago, believed.”
He said if he was still a student at UF, he doesn’t know if he would be “sent to some diversity tribunal.” He said UF President Kent Fuchs’ statements showed the university’s bias.
“(The university) admitted it is against white identity and it is against any sort of dissident right-wing activity,” he said. “And I think it spoke volumes that the school was against Richard Spencer.”
Del Castillo said while at UF, she never saw eye-to-eye with Poirier. She said Poirier defended radical preachers when they would come to free speech zones on campus.
“I remember distinctly arguing with him about that,” del Castillo said.
In August, del Castillo watched a livestream of the town hall meeting regarding the removal of the confederate Old Joe statue in downtown Gainesville. She said Poirier was there.
“(Poirier) was one of the only people that came who defended preserving confederate culture. I remember feeling shocked then,” she said.
Since Poirier spoke out in this fashion in August, she was not surprised to see that he was supporting Spencer, a white supremacist, this past Thursday.
“Now I know that I was right to not want to associate with him,” she said.
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