The white nationalist Richard Spencer is scheduled to give a speech at the University of Florida on Thursday. It is to be his first campus event since he and other members of the alt-right marched through the University of Virginia in August, wielding torches and shouting Nazi-era slogans.

Anyone who expected Mr. Spencer to skulk away after the violence in Charlottesville misread him. Mr. Spencer is arguably the most visible proponent of his fringe views, and he earned that distinction with a hustler’s knack for self-promotion. As long as he has the nation’s attention, Mr. Spencer thinks he is winning.

Several public universities recently canceled planned appearances by Mr. Spencer, garnering him even more headlines. The First Amendment rightfully prohibits government entities, including public universities, from blocking a speaker solely because of his viewpoint, no matter how hateful some or even all may find it. So public institutions that bar Mr. Spencer may lose to him in court, too.

Like it or not, Mr. Spencer will most likely keep his campus outrage act on the road. It’s a shrewd and effective publicity strategy. This raises a vexing and complicated question for students and faculty members opposed to his views. How can they constructively respond to his provocations without fueling his rise or abandoning the principles of free expression?