3 Arrests as White Nationalist Speaks at Auburn

White nationalist Richard Spencer spoke in a crowded auditorium at Auburn University on Tuesday after a federal judge blocked the Alabama school from banning his appearance. Only a few chairs were empty in the 400-seat-plus room as Spencer and other speakers railed against ethnicity and racial diversity, liberals, the media, and more, saying they wanted to promote "white pride," the AP reports. Supporters and opponents engaged in shouting matches beforehand. An Auburn police spokesman says three people were arrested on disorderly conduct charges.

Video posted online shows two men scuffling outside the building where Spencer spoke, with one suffering a facial cut and bleeding afterward. Officers led both men away, and one woman also was handcuffed. A judge cleared the way for Spencer's speech after hearing arguments in a lawsuit filed by a Georgia man who rented the room where he spoke. The suit claimed the university violated free-speech rights by trying to stop Spencer's appearance. Auburn officials cited public safety concerns in trying to stop Spencer from appearing in the student union building. (Spencer was punched in the face in DC on Inauguration Day.)