Despite having no chance of winning the Louisiana Senate race, David Duke was the main focus of the debate held at Dillard University in New Orleans on Wednesday.

Many students at the historically black university protested outside the auditorium, which was empty during the debate except for a small number of guests of each candidate, The Times-Picayune reported. Police outside the event used pepper spray on some protesters.

The debate featured six of the 23 candidates running in next week’s open Senate primary. Duke was joined by state Treasurer John Kennedy, Rep. Charles Boustany Jr. and Rep. John Fleming (all Republicans), and two Democrats, Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell and lawyer Caroline Fayard.

During the debate, Campbell hit Fayard for running an ad linking him to the former Ku Klux Klan leader.

[Louisiana Senate Debate Will Have an Empty Auditorium]