CHICAGO: A Texas university canceled Monday a planned white supremacist rally on its campus next month, citing safety concerns following the deadly violence at a rally in Virginia at the weekend.
Texas A&M University, one of the most prestigious public colleges in the United States, scrapped a September 11 rally at which known white supremacist leader Richard Spencer was scheduled to speak.
Spencer was one of the leading figures in a rally that saw hundreds of white supremacists gather Saturday in the town of Charlottesville, triggering violence that left one person dead and 19 others injured.
The university’s decision to cancel the event came after it emerged that organizers were billing the event as “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 university said in a statement.
Spencer has asked sympathizers to invite him to speak on campuses, and he has been invited to speak at the University of Florida on September 12, although authorities have yet to give their approval.
In an open letter to students, University of Florida president Kent Fuchs indicated how the college was torn over whether to give the event the green light.
“For many in our community, including myself, this speaker’s presence would be deeply disturbing,” Fuchs wrote, before adding that “we must follow the law, upholding the First Amendment not to discriminate based on content and provide access to a public space.”
Texas university cancels white supremacist rally
Texas university cancels white supremacist rally
Dozens missing after boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsized off the coast of Gambia
- At least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the boat that capsized on New Year’s Eve in northwest Gambia’s North Bank region
BANJUL: Dozens are missing after a boat carrying more than 200 migrants on their way to Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia, the West African nation’s leader said late Friday, setting off a frantic search and rescue operation.
At least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the boat that capsized on New Year’s Eve in northwest Gambia’s North Bank region, Gambian President Adama Barrow said in a state broadcast.
The emergency services were joined by local fishermen and other volunteers in searching for the victims, days after Wednesday’s incident near the village of Jinack, he said.
Thousands of Africans desperate for better opportunities in Europe risk their lives traveling on boats along the Atlantic coast, one of the world’s deadliest migrant routes that connects the West African coast across Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania.
Many migrants seeking to reach Spain via the Canary Islands never make it due to high risks of boats capsizing. In August 2025, around 150 people were either dead or missing after their boat that came from Gambia capsized off the coast of Mauritania. A similar incident in July 2024 killed more than a dozen migrants with 150 others declared missing.
It was not clear what led to the latest tragedy. Gambia’s Ministry of Defense said the boat was found “grounded on a sandbank.”
“The national emergency response plan has been activated and the government has deployed adequate resources to intensify efforts and provide assistance to the survivors,” Barrow said.
Some of the 102 survivors were undergoing urgent medical care, the Gambian leader said.
As he condoled with families, Barrow vowed a full investigation and called the accident a “painful reminder of the dangerous and life-threatening nature of irregular migration.”
“The government will strengthen efforts to prevent irregular migration and remains determined to create safer and more dignified opportunities for young people to fulfil their dreams,” he added.
