Spencer was one of the featured speakers at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which drew national attention after violent clashes caused Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe to declare a state of emergency, and eventually resulted in injuries and three deaths.[20][21] Some of his subsequent speaking engagements were denied or canceled, resulting in a lawsuit against Michigan State University[22] and the threat of legal action against the University of Florida. An agreement was reached with the University of Florida allowing him to speak in October 2017.[23] Several days before his scheduled appearance, Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency, citing concerns about a "potential emergency" that could result from Spencer's appearance.[24] Spencer has also been banned from entering the United Kingdom since 2016[25] and he was then banned from entering the Schengen Area in October 2017, a move that bans Spencer from 22 of 28 European Union member states, as well as Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland.[26]