Milo Yiannopoulos Finally Spoke at Berkeley. But the Protesters Were Louder

For months, the University of California, Berkeley, had prepared for a slate of conservative speakers to arrive on campus for “Free Speech Week.” The school was ready to spend more than a million dollars on security amid concerns that protesters from both left and right would show up and become violent during the four-day event planned for late September. In the end, almost all the speeches were canceled due to logistical issues and safety concerns. And the one appearance that went on Sunday ended without a clear indication of what had been accomplished. Controversy that has rocked Berkeley for much of the year began when anti-fascist protesters stopped a planned speech by the right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos in February. The former Breitbart employee was a driving force behind “Free Speech Week” at Berkeley, along with a conservative student organization, and he vowed to appear on campus in spite of the cancellation. He did arrive, but few people could hear anything he said. Security was intense, with scores of police officers and barricades surrounding the historic Sproul Plaza where Yiannopoulos planned to appear. No one was allowed into the area with cameras or bags, and by the time he marched out at noon, only a few dozen people stood in an otherwise empty forum. One supporter who made it through security held a sign that declared “Feminism Is Cancer,” echoing the firebrand’s own rhetoric. Another held a sign that said &...
Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Berkeley Education milo yiannopoulos onetime Source Type: news