More than 100 people — most of them carrying “Love Lives Here” signs — filled the Whitefish City Council chambers Monday to protest against prominent white nationalist Richard Spencer and his organization’s presence in Whitefish.

Many representatives of the group asked the council to pass a “no hate” ordinance that would restrict hate-based activities in Whitefish.

“It’s important we send a message that we’re here to embrace people with vast diversity,” said the Rev. Deborah Schmidt of the Whitefish United Methodist Church. “We reject the dehumanization of people because of their skin color.”

Spencer, president of the National Policy Institute, advocates for white separatism and the eventual creation of a white ethno-state in North America.  

Spencer has split his time between Whitefish and the East Coast for the past decade. His presence in Whitefish largely had gone unnoticed locally until the Whitefish Pilot published an article Nov. 5 detailing how Spencer was arrested and detained in Budapest, Hungary, last month after the National Policy Institute attempted to hold a conference that was banned by the Hungarian government.

Spencer responded to the newspaper article with a guest editorial in which he touched on his beliefs and stated the National Policy Institute has never been Montana-based “in the conventional sense.

“I’ve been coming to Whitefish for more than 10 years now,” Spencer wrote in an email in response to Monday night’s protest. “At no point have I published an opinion on local politics, held meetings with local or state politicians or engaged in civic activism of any kind.

“Whitefish is a place where I go to get away from it all. I have no desire to do anything that changes the community that I love, nor has my organization ever considered establishing a permanent facility or residence in Montana. As I said in my op-ed, our natural home is on the East Coast.”

Supporters of Love Lives Here told the council they believe the National Policy Institute, described as an independent think tank “dedicated to the heritage, identity and future of European people,” is an insidious movement that is racist at its core.

“This is about a way of thinking that’s despicable,” Brian Muldoon told the council. “This community is standing strongly against the ideas of the National Policy Institute... those ideas are premised on the false idea of human purity” of one race versus another.

Ina Albert, co-founder of Love Lives Here, said the group was created “to demonstrate for love and against hate-group activities.”

It formed in 2009 after a family of white supremacists moved to Kalispell. The group held demonstrations when events were planned to show films that Love Lives Here alleged were meant to recruit people to a racial way of thinking.

“We are committed to co-creating a caring, open, accepting and diverse community, free from discrimination, and dedicated to the equal treatment of all citizens.” Albert said.

Dozens of people spoke during the council’s public-comment segment of the meeting, all voicing a similar message about taking a stand against the ideals of the National Policy Institute.

“The idea of hate and discrimination has no place in Whitefish,” former City Council member Turner Askew said. “I hope you can find a way to say we won’t accept this in our town.”

Rabbi Allen Secher of Whitefish, who said he was tormented during his childhood for being Jewish, told the council: “Let’s not even open the door to this guy.”

Hilary Shaw agreed, saying she doesn’t want Spencer to be able to conduct National Policy Institute business in Whitefish. Shaw told about how her grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, had lived through five concentration camps, yet he taught her, “It’s not OK to judge all Germans by the actions of a few.”

Spencer has assisted the owners of a mixed-use building under construction on Lupfer Avenue in the historical Railway District.

Some people wondered if Spencer will use the facility for the National Policy Institute, although Spencer has reiterated that the institute will operate on the East Coast. The building will offer retail space and apartments, and will “absolutely not” be used in any for the National Policy Institute, Spencer told the Inter Lake.

Spencer said although the institute did have a Whitefish post office box, that has been changed to an Arlington, Virginia, address, and the Wikipedia online entry for the institute has been edited to reflect the change of address.

Jan Metzmaker, another former council member and the former director of the Whitefish Convention and Visitor Bureau, said she learned about Spencer a couple of years ago from a national newspaper article, but admitted she didn’t bring attention to Spencer’s connection to Whitefish because of the negative press it would bring.

Metzmaker noted that despite his beliefs, “he’s allowed the freedom of speech.” Though she was sympathetic to the local concerns, she told the council, “It will be difficult to find that place where he’s allowed his rights and we’re allowed ours.”

Nathan Kosted said he doesn’t want Whitefish “to turn into another Hayden Lake, Idaho,” referring to the area of Idaho that became a hotbed of white supremacists for a time in the 1980s and 1990s.

Diane Smith said she supports a no-hate ordinance and encouraged the council to use any other tools it may have to prevent Spencer from doing business in Whitefish.

“It’s time to prohibit hate,” Smith stressed. “Take a stand; do the things that are hard... sometimes there are issues worth getting sued over.”

After 90 minutes of public comment, council member Richard Hildner fought back tears as he pledged to do everything he can to protect the citizens of Whitefish and keep hate and racism from infiltrating the town.

“Hate, racism, bigotry are not community values in Whitefish,” Hildner stated.

Mayor John Muhlfeld said he expects the council to address the matter and respond to the community in a timely manner.

At the end of the meeting, all of the council members raised their hands in support for creating some kind of ordinance to address the public’s concerns.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.