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A spirit that is not afraid

No students arrested Tuesday during protests

The Auburn Police Division have released the names and mugshots of the three individuals who got into a violent altercation during protests of white nationalist Richard Spencer's speech Tuesday afternoon on Auburn's campus.

Police arrested Ryan Matthew King, 38, who is a tattoo artist from Montgomery; Benjamin Lee Hansen, 19, of Trussville; and Seth Miles Waldon, 27, a clerk from Birmingham. All three were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct.

The arrests were made at approximately 6 p.m. after a fight broke out between two middle-aged protestors. The pair only got in about two punches before police took them to the ground and restrained them using plastic restraints.

None of the three were students at Auburn University or affiliated with the University in any way. They also do not live in the Auburn area.

Other than the one fight, no other violence broke out during Spencer's visit.

"I'm pretty happy with the way things have gone," Register said. "It could have been a lot worse. I attribute the peaceful nature to the students."

Spencer promised Tuesday night was "going to be wild." That wasn't the case, though, according to police. Some behavior was chaotic — including students running across Samford Lawn and through downtown Auburn after the conclusion of the event — but no other altercations became violent.

"I think it means a lot that the arrests weren't students," the police chief said. "It really speaks to how well behaved our students are."




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