Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency Monday ahead of a speech by white supremacist leader Richard Spencer at the University of Florida on Thursday. "This executive order is an additional step to ensure that the University of Florida and the entire community is prepared so everyone can stay safe," Governor Scott said in a statement.

Spencer was a participant in the violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. in August. The university administration urged the students to stay away, but it said it couldn't block the event because of free speech concerns.