Michigan State University has denied a request from the National Policy Institute, a white nationalist group, for space to hold an event on campus in September.
MSU spokesman Jason Cody released the following statement to us Thursday evening:
"After consultation with law enforcement officials, Michigan State University has decided to deny the National Policy Institute's request to rent space on campus to accommodate a speaker. This decision was made due to significant concerns about public safety in the wake of the tragic violence in Charlottesville last weekend. While we remain firm in our commitment to freedom of expression, our first obligation is to the safety and security of our students and our community. "
The National Policy Institute's president is Richard Spencer, a white supremacist who has called for a white homeland and "peaceful ethnic cleansing." The NPI's request did not give details on the event and did not name a specific date or location on campus. MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said Wednesday the decision would be based on safety, not on the content of the group's message.
