Watch Live Stream: White Nationalist Leader Delivers Speech At Texas A&M University

COLLEGE STATION, TX — White nationalist Richard Spencer is scheduled to deliver a speech at Texas A&M University Tuesday evening, galvanizing those opposed to his message of white supremacy to rally outside the venue where he will speak.

"We won," Spencer said in the early part of his speech by the time he arrived at the lectern, setting the tone for his remarks to follow. "America belongs to white men."

According to numerous reports on social media, campus police were out in force in case violence breaks out. Hundreds of students gathered en masse outside of the venue, voicing their displeasure over Spencer's presence at their school.

"Yes to love, no to hate! Richard Spencer go away!" the students chanted in unison.

Yet Spencer has his share of supporters, gathered in counter-protest to voice their support of their alt-right leader's message of racial superiority:

For his part, Spencer made his own feelings known before his speech. Repeating his claim of having sparked a growing nationalist movement, he scrawled on a wall on which students wrote messages of unity referencing his perceived status as a leader:

Spencer is a leader of the alt-right movement whose members have been emboldened by the anti-immigration, anti-Muslim message of Donald Trump that helped fuel his presidential aspirations.

A recent speech in the nation's capital made Spencer a national figure by virtue of his fiery rhetoric extolling white superiority. "Hail Trump! Hail our people! Hail victory!" Spencer shouted from his lectern, soliciting not only cheers and applause from followers but Nazi salutes.

Spencer is president and director of the National Policy Institute, a self-described "independent organization dedicated to the heritage, identity and future of people of European descent in the United States, and around the world."

Texas A&M University officials have noted they did not invite Spencer to speak. Rather, he will be on campus at the invitation of an alumnus — a permitted activity officials said they were unable to prevent given university provisions. At least two petitions had been created by students to protest Spencer's appearance on their campus.

Spencer is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. CST. Watch a live stream of his speech below:

From Nov. 25:

COLLEGE STATION, TX — Richard Spencer — the alt-right white nationalist whose recent speech in Washington, D.C. drew cheers and Nazi salutes from followers — is scheduled to speak at Texas A&M next month.

Spencer's fiery speech promoting white power last Saturday drew considerable controversy after some rapte members in the crowd reacted to his words with the unmistakable Nazi salute. He's now scheduled to give a speech at the Memorial Student Center at Texas A&M at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6, according to media reports.

"Hail Trump! Hail our people! Hail victory!" Spencer shouted from his lectern in soliciting the reaction reminiscent of Nazi Germany while speaking in the nation's capital. Spencer is president and director of the National Policy Institute, a self-described "independent organization dedicated to the heritage, identity and future of people of European descent in the United States, and around the world."

Already, many are denouncing Spencer's upcoming appearance at the campus. An online petition begun to denounce the upcoming speech has gathered more than 8,000 signatures.

"Too many Aggies died fighting ACTUAL Nazis," noted Alfred Sierra of College Station, one of the petition's signers. "We don't need this hatemonger tainting our campus and their memory, freedom of speech or not. Racism and bigotry should never be tolerated."

Added Michael Treviño of San Antonio: "If he speaks, don't ever call me again for a donation."

Julie Svetlick, of Bryan, Texas, worried about her alma mater's reputation given the upcoming appearance by Spencer: "I am a Former Student '98 who does not want my degree to be tarnished by the University's support/tolerance of hate speech."

While many want the event cancelled, it's not likely to happen. University officials did not extend the invitation, nor is it a sanctioned event as a result. A private donor is staging the upcoming event under a clause that allows for use of public space.

"While it seems that canceling this event may not be possible, we can still send the message, loud and clear, that hatred is not tolerated by the Aggie community," wrote Sunaina Suhag, who started the petition.

Besides the position, various student groups have issued statements denouncing the upcoming appearance.

For their part, university officials released a statement noting they were unaware of the booking. Moreover, a university spokesperson said, the university does not endorse the ideology promoted by Spencer.

"There has been deep concern expressed by our Aggie community about an individual planning to speak at our campus," Amy B. Smith, the university spokesperson, said. "To be clear, Texas A&M University – including faculty, staff, students and/or student groups - did not invite this speaker to our campus nor do we endorse his rhetoric in any way. In fact, our leadership finds his views as expressed to date in direct conflict with our core values." Smith said.

She reiterated that people are allowed to rent public space on the campus provided they foot the bill for rental costs: "Private citizens are permitted to reserve space available to the public as we are a public university as is the case here. Public groups must cover all rental expenses so that state resources are not burdened."

According to the student newspaper The Battalion, Spencer was invited to the campus by Preston Wigington, a white nationalist who briefly attended Texas A&M last decade.

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