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Students at Dillard University protested former KKK leader David Duke’s appearance at a senatorial debate held on the historically black campus in New Orleans Wednesday night. Police responded by pepper spraying the protesters and arresting six, one of them a student, for blocking traffic.
The protests were led by Socially Engaged Dillard University Students. When their formal request to deny Duke access to the campus was denied, they released a statement saying, “His presence on our campus is not welcome, and overtly subjects the entire student body to safety risks and social ridicule.” Duke is running to be a Louisiana state senator.
During Wednesday’s debate, he made disparaging comments about Jews and blasted the Black Lives Matter movement, referring to it as a radical movement focused on killing cops. Although Duke supports Trump, going so far as to credit him for his “return to politics,” Trump and the rest of the GOP have distanced themselves from him. The debate was broadcast on local television, and journalists had a special room to watch, but no spectators were allowed in the debate.