Texas A&M University canceled an event for Sept. 11 that had been scheduled by white nationalist Preston Wiginton, a school statement said.
Aug. 15 (UPI) — Texas A&M University canceled an event for Sept. 11 that had been scheduled by white nationalist Preston Wiginton, a school statement said.
The university cited „concerns about the safety of its students, faculty, staff and the public“ after Saturday’s protests and counter-protests in Charlottesville, Va., resulted in one woman’s death when she was run over by a vehicle.
The A&M statement, issued Monday, noted that Wiginton promoted his Sept. 11 visit to College Station, Texas, with a notification to the media headlined „Today Charlottesville, Tomorrow Texas A&M.“
„Linking the tragedy of Charlottesville with the Texas A&M event creates a major security risk on our campus, “ the school said. „Additionally, the daylong event would provide disruption to our class schedules and to student, faculty and staff movement (both bus system and pedestrian) .“
Wiginton, a former Texas A&M student, said his rally would be held outdoors and on campus at the school’s Rudder Plaza since none of the school’s student organizations invited him. An invitation is a precondition at Texas A&M for an event to be held in an indoor facility.
The school’s invitation policy has been in place since white supremacist Richard Spencer spoke at the school in December.
