Breaking: Protesters force cancellation of Milo Yiannopoulos talk at UC Berkeley

Update 6:15 p.m. The planned talk by Milo Yiannopoulis has been canceled, reports Carlo David. Protesters are cheering the decision.

Update 6:05 p.m. According to Carlo David, reporting for Berkeleyside, protesters in black are tearing down barricades and have fired pyrotechnics towards the UC Police.

After the barricade was broken down, many protesters burst into cheers, David reports. Smoke fills Sproul Plaza.

Berkeley Police have issued a Nixle alert warning about “violent demonstrations” in the South Campus area.

Original story: Controversial far right political provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos will be speaking tonight in UC Berkeley’s MLK Student Union, next to Sproul Plaza, and protesters are out in force. That means helicopters are hovering over Berkeley, too.

Author and Berkeley resident Joyce Carol Oates tweeted, at about 5:30 p.m., “Helicopters everywhere over Berkeley! Pointed out to husband who said, ‘Has T***p invaded Mexico?'”

According to UC Berkeley’s news office, “The Berkeley College Republicans (BCR) will be presenting a performance by Milo Yiannopoulos in the Pauley Ballroom, located on the second floor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union building.” The event begins at 8 p.m.

In a communication to students earlier Wednesday, UCB encouraged “students who do not wish to participate in or potentially be impacted by the events to consider exploring alternative routes that avoid the Sproul Plaza area.”

University spokesman Dan Mogulof told Berkeleyside Cal has “made concerted efforts” to ensure campus safety, in part through contact with other campuses to learn about their experiences of similar events. He said he could not share specific security measures that would be taken by the University of California Police Department.

“The department was provided with all the resources they need,” based on a professional assessment, to ensure the security of those attending the event, and those coming to protest it, he said.

The university did bring in officers from other UC campuses to ensure adequate resources would be available, he said. UCPD is also in touch with the Berkeley Police Department, but Mogulof said those officers are not on campus and would only be needed if security demands exceed UCPD’s capacity to respond.

Berkeleyside has a reporter and photographers on the scene, and a story is forthcoming.

Reporting for Berkeleyside, Carlo David said at about 5:20 p.m. that “No Milo, No Trump, No fascist USA!” chants echoed through Sproul Plaza an hour before gates have even opened for the Yiannopoulos event.

UC Berkeley’s Office of Student Affairs wrote to the leadership of the Berkeley College Republicans on Tuesday, noting, “I am deeply aware of the many complex issues that are swirling around Milo’s visit to our campus and you no doubt have a lot on your plates right now. I must now also make sure you are aware that Milo, Brietbart and the David Horowitz Freedom Center have published an article today, 1/31/17, stating their intention to use the Berkeley College Republican’s event to launch their campaign targeting the undocumented student community on our campus.”

The message continues:

There are concerns that he will be employing the strategies of using pictures and personal information of Cal students during his speech which, as you know, is simultaneously being live-streamed therefore making these images widely available and subsequently putting students at risk.

There are concerns that he will be employing the strategies of using pictures and personal information of Cal students during his speech which, as you know, is simultaneously being  live-streamed therefore making these images widely available and subsequently putting students at risk.

Also, please know other targeted groups on our campus have experienced Horowitz’ tactic of publicizing the names and pictures of individuals on posters throughout campus property and there is a likelihood that there will be Horowitz-backed posters pasted throughout our campus tomorrowpublicizing the Milo event in conjunction with targeted individual’s names.

BCR has expressed their position condemning these tactics and, in fact, have been victimized themselves. We are deeply concerned for all students’ safety and ability to pursue their education here at Cal beyond Milo’s speech. At the bottom of this email are campus resources for reporting incidents.

Please let me know your thoughts on what BCR can do to address the concerns that Milo’s event may be used to target individuals, either in the audience or by using their personal information in a way that causes them to become human targets to serve a political agenda.  Let me know if I can be a resource in managing this issue.