Gay conservative and Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos’s speech on the University of California Berkeley campus Wednesday night was cancelled after violent rioters shut down the university, setting fires that turned the campus into what CNN anchor Jake Tapper described as “an inferno.”
The rioters were described as violent by witnesses on social media and video of the riots confirm that description. Video shows rioters violently attacking Milo supporters and people wearing Trump apparel, mercilessly spraying them with pepper spray.
The rioters claimed in a press release that Milo is a “tool of Trump’s fascist government” and “has no right to speak at Cal or anywhere else!”
“Milo is seeking to use the campuses to serve a larger fascist transformation of America and its entire culture,” the press release went on to say. “Students are right to SHUT IT DOWN because yes, it’s dangerous. Fascism is dangerous to humanity. And you, if you oppose this with everything you’ve got, will have the honor of being dangerous to fascism.”
One video shows a college-aged girl giving an interview before getting pepper-sprayed at the end of the interview by an off-camera assailant. The girl was not the only one pepper-sprayed by protesters.
WATCH:
My friend was giving an interview when some coward peppersprayed her #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/CDpEqDsw2A
— janey (@janeygak) February 2, 2017
In addition to pepper-spraying random women, protesters set their own campus ablaze.
Protests against Milo at UC Berkeley. Protesters chanting “This is what community looks like.” pic.twitter.com/a0YIZ3epIc
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) February 2, 2017
Like an inferno? https://t.co/phgBRk1vPv
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 2, 2017
“For 30 years, the left has been able to bully people into silence by name calling and they’ve forgotten how to argue,” Yiannopoulos said in an interview with Fox News.
Riot police just moved into the crowd to rescue an injured man with blood all over his face. That was one of the Trump supporters. pic.twitter.com/dArKB9tQtq
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 2, 2017
Just toppled a light pole. Craziest protest I’ve seen in Berkeley by far. Crowd fast turning violent. pic.twitter.com/5ujFLOtA4u
— Michael Bodley (@michael_bodley) February 2, 2017
“I think we’re at the fun part” says a #milo protester. Smashing at windows Riot police #ucberkeley pic.twitter.com/QIoLhpogF8
— Nanette Asimov (@NanetteAsimov) February 2, 2017
Unconfirmed reports on social media suggest the rioters violently attacked those trying to leave the protest area.
Apparently the rioters at @UCBerkeley are now attacking students (possibly College Republicans) trying to leave the area with weapons. pic.twitter.com/Ibi0FycmRw
— Old Row (@OldRowOfficial) February 2, 2017
Yiannopoulos appeared to confirm that at least one of his supporters, wearing a Trump hat, was attacked by rioters.
Liberal college students have consistently resorted to violent and thuggish methods to keep Yiannopoulos (who is known for being a provocateur) from speaking on college campuses.
WATCH:
Milo Yiannopoulos: “For 30 years, the left has been able to bully people into silence by name calling and they’ve forgotten how to argue.” pic.twitter.com/I2R0se8NON
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 2, 2017
This story has been updated with additional information
