Berkeley goes nuts over Milo Yiannopoulos talk
- 7 years ago
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA — A protest against a scheduled talk by Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos turned violent at the University of California, Berkeley on Wednesday night.
The riots caused $100,000 worth of damage to the campus, school officials said on Thursday.
Berkeley blamed “150 masked agitators” for the violence, saying they had come to the event to disturb an otherwise peaceful protest.
More than 1,500 protesters had peacefully gathered at Sproul Plaza before things got out of hand, according to CNN.
Protesters dressed in black and wearing masks hurled fireworks and rocks at police. Molotov cocktails were also thrown that started fires, CNN reported.
The protesters also smashed windows at the student union center where Yiannopoulos was scheduled to speak.
At least six people were injured, according to CNN.
As the situation escalated, university police issued a lockdown for campus buildings and warned protesters to leave the area.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence and unlawful behavior that was on display and deeply regret that those tactics will now overshadow the efforts to engage in legitimate and lawful protest against the performer’s presence and perspectives,” the university said in a statement.
Yiannopoulos had been invited to speak by the Berkeley College Republicans.
He was set to speak as part of a campaign against “sanctuary campuses,” schools that have promised to protect undocumented students in wake of President Trump’s rhetoric on illegal immigration, USA Today reported.
President Trump even weighed in through his official spokesman, Twitter.
“If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view — NO FEDERAL FUNDS?” Trump tweeted on Thursday morning.
The riots caused $100,000 worth of damage to the campus, school officials said on Thursday.
Berkeley blamed “150 masked agitators” for the violence, saying they had come to the event to disturb an otherwise peaceful protest.
More than 1,500 protesters had peacefully gathered at Sproul Plaza before things got out of hand, according to CNN.
Protesters dressed in black and wearing masks hurled fireworks and rocks at police. Molotov cocktails were also thrown that started fires, CNN reported.
The protesters also smashed windows at the student union center where Yiannopoulos was scheduled to speak.
At least six people were injured, according to CNN.
As the situation escalated, university police issued a lockdown for campus buildings and warned protesters to leave the area.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence and unlawful behavior that was on display and deeply regret that those tactics will now overshadow the efforts to engage in legitimate and lawful protest against the performer’s presence and perspectives,” the university said in a statement.
Yiannopoulos had been invited to speak by the Berkeley College Republicans.
He was set to speak as part of a campaign against “sanctuary campuses,” schools that have promised to protect undocumented students in wake of President Trump’s rhetoric on illegal immigration, USA Today reported.
President Trump even weighed in through his official spokesman, Twitter.
“If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view — NO FEDERAL FUNDS?” Trump tweeted on Thursday morning.