Rowdy protesters shut down an event at UC Davis forcing the cancellation of a speech by conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos.
Protests erupted at the University of California, Davis campus on Friday as crowds pushed back at security and through barricades, shouting and waving signs.
Objecting to planned speeches by Yiannopoulos and controversial pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli, protesters faced off with organizers of the event, the UC Davis College Republicans, in heated exchanges outside the lecture hall.
University of California, Davis cancels event featuring Milo Yiannopoulos and Martin Shkreli after protests, fights pic.twitter.com/xbsYsbRn2n
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 14, 2017
With just 30 minutes to go before the event, its sponsors made the decision to cancel.
#BREAKING UC Davis College Repubicans announce through loud speaker Milo Yiannapoulos event officially cancelled, after protests.
— stevelarge_cbs13 (@largesteven) January 14, 2017
Funny how the #UCDavis “protestors” silenced Milo’s speech, while saying they wanted to stop fascism, by using fascist tactics ???
— NCC (@NCCollegians) January 14, 2017
“The decision was made initially because the lives of the officers were threatened, the lives of the students were threatened as well as the property of the school,” College Republicans’ executive director Andrew Mendoza told KCRA-TV.
Protestors on @ucdavis campus. Peaceful so far, but a lot of people here for Milo mocking the protestors. @ABC10 pic.twitter.com/0z93i2B6j1
— Frances Wang (@ABC10Frances) January 14, 2017
Breitbart tech editor Yiannopoulos posted on his Facebook page that the event was canceled due to “violence from left-wing protesters.”
Things getting a little heated, but protests are peaceful @ucdavis @ABC10. pic.twitter.com/d43Q3mesz0
— Frances Wang (@ABC10Frances) January 14, 2017
Protests at @ucdavis. Warning: inappropriate language. @ABC10 pic.twitter.com/63sebutPhA
— Frances Wang (@ABC10Frances) January 14, 2017
Protesters hurled obscenities and insults at Shkreli who emerged from the lecture hall at one point.
“It’s disgusting,” Shkreli told CNN affiliate KOVR. “Progressivism is about having a conversation.”
In a statement, Interim Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter said he was “deeply disappointed” with the protests.
“Our community is founded on principles of respect for all views, even those that we personally find repellent. As I have stated repeatedly, a university is at its best when it listens to and critically engages opposing views, especially ones that many of us find upsetting or even offensive,” he said.
Appearances by Yiannopoulos have sparked protests at other locations as he travels on a college speaking tour.
On Friday, he took to his Facebook page to point out that the UC Davis College Republicans were not the ones who decided to shut down Friday’s event.
“Left-wing thugs scared UC Davis into canceling my event last night by damaging property, hurling excrement at guests and starting fights,” Yiannopoulos wrote. “It was the university and campus PD who told us the event could not go ahead. Why is the university and its police force trying to pretend otherwise? Who are they trying to protect?”
He invited followers to join him at the college to protest the cancellation of the event.
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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