DAVIS, Calif. (KGO) A planned appearance Wednesday by controversial internet figure Milo Yiannopoulos, an editor for the conservative website Breitbart was canceled after protests turned violent on the U.C. Berkeley campus.
The 32-year-old Greek-born British journalist is a senior editor for the conservative news and opinion website. He’s been called a spokesperson for the so-called “alt-right” movement for his extreme views on Islam, social justice, and political correctness.
Passions started flaring around 4 p.m. between both sides on the Cal campus ahead of Yiannopoulos’ 8 p.m. speech. The event is sponsored by the Berkeley College Republicans. Extra police officers were called to monitor the event.
The protests turned violent shortly before 5 p.m. as the event approached, with demonstrators lighting fires and fireworks on the Cal campus.
Yiannopoulos responded on Facebook after Wednesday’s event was canceled, saying he had been “evacuated from the UC Berkeley campus after violent left-wing protestors tore down barricades, lit fires, threw rocks and Roman candles at the windows.”