Thousands protest white supremacist's appearance at Texas A&M
Amid the chanting protesters, some expletive-laden signs and, eventually, state police carrying batons and riot shields outside the Memorial Student Center on Tuesday evening, 84-year-old Audrey Patton toted a posterboard emblazoned with a thought she and most others in attendance seemed to share about a speech unfolding inside: "Heil No."
"I'm here because I'm disappointed that there are people in our country who feel that their vision is better than inclusion," the College Station resident said about an hour before white nationalist Richard Spencer spoke at the MSC under tight security.
Patton and thousands of other protesters converged outside the MSC and Rudder for about five hours to voice opposition to Spencer, a 38-year-old Dallas native who's become a face of the so-called "alt-right" -- a movement mixing racism, white nationalism and populism. While Patton described the demonstration overall as "nice and polite," there was a heavy law enforcement presence surrounding the various protests, with Texas Department of Public Safety officers with riot gear eventually pushing the crush of protesters inside the MSC through a door facing Kyle Field where a university-led rally was well underway.
"Who do you protect, who do you serve?" they chanted at the police. Most of the crowd dispersed by 10 p.m., being pushed back gradually across the street by officers with riot shields and a handful of mounted troopers.
Read more and view video: http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/thousands-protest-white-supremacist-s-appearance-at-texas-a-m/article_550d2f6a-cf80-5d0d-98ec-dd173b801c65.html
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