“Unprecedented” security measures were taken at the University of California at Berkeley to ensure that Daily Wire editor Ben Shapiro could speak there Thursday evening — much to the chagrin of campus protestors.
Students were angry that Shapiro was coming speak at their school because he’s a conservative, which made college administrators nervous.
Chalk messages criticizing @benshapiro and the @UCBerkeley administration in front of Zellerbach Hall #BenAtBerkeley #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/b4yaBVA6BC
— Daniel Myungkyu Kim | 김명규 (@dkimreports) September 14, 2017
Dusk during #BenAtBerkeley: the whir of police helicopters. Cold brush of night air. Lines of protestors and @benshapiro supporters. pic.twitter.com/FtvDeQ1kLC
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) September 15, 2017
They charged Young America’s Foundation, the organization sponsoring the event, $15,000 for special security. The school reportedly spent $600,000 on additional security measures — including reinforcements and barricades.
#BenAtBerkeley riot police have already come out surrounding the university pic.twitter.com/Y9HGdwImNx
— Luke Rudkowski (@Lukewearechange) September 15, 2017
The "birthplace of free speech" is paying $600K on security bc students can't handle hearing a 5'9" Jewish man's opinions. #BenAtBerkeley
— Pardes Seleh (@PardesSeleh) September 14, 2017
So let me get this straight — #UCBerkeley is putting up a WALL to protect students at @benshapiro speech? What bigots. https://t.co/wZlEeiLvlJ
— Kelsey Bolar (Harkness) (@kelseybolar) September 14, 2017
https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/908337523268751360
The campus also limited the number of seats to 1,000, even though the auditorium could hold many more, citing security concerns, which Shapiro disputed, saying it was the college attempting to muzzle him.
Hundreds of people are waiting to nab last minute tickets to @benshapiro tonight. #BenatBerkeley pic.twitter.com/M6Z5g7LBax
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) September 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/marshallebenson/status/908504740945846272
Someone scrawled this angry, typo-ridden message with sidewalk chalk on campus.
“Who do we hate?”
“What’s his name!”
“Who?”
“We really don’t know!"#BenAtBerkeley @benshapiro pic.twitter.com/QVGUyCtJgQ— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) September 14, 2017
Beyond chalk: now this sign is up in @UCBerkeley MLK Student Union, facing the hall where @benshapiro speaks tonight at #BenAtBerkeley pic.twitter.com/fkM3Iet5mz
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation) September 14, 2017
The publicly funded university announced they would offer free counseling for students and employees who felt triggered by Shapiro’s presence on campus. The statement read:
We are deeply concerned about the impact some speakers may have on individuals’ sense of safety and belonging. No one should be made to feel threatened or harassed simply because of who they are or for what they believe. For that reason, the following support services are being offered and encouraged. (emphasis added)
Some helpful @yaf advice for liberals attending tonight's @benshapiro lecture #BenAtBerkeley #YAFonCampus pic.twitter.com/gNCRAUX2Np
— Patrick X Coyle (@PatrickXCoyle) September 14, 2017
Earlier this year, Antifa protestors and students went nuts in protesting a campus visit by right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopolous. They smashed windows, ATMs, and started fires and got violent. Last month, the mayor of Berkeley called Antifa a “gang” after they viciously attacked suspected Donald Trump supporters at a free speech rally on campus.
UC Berkeley also closed off large portions of the campus, including Sproul Plaza, which is considered the birthplace of the free speech movement in the 1960s, and local businesses closed early and boarded up their windows in preparation for anticipated violence from counter-protestors.
Wow Bank of America is boarding up there windows ahead of @benshapiro speech at Berkeley right now pic.twitter.com/rLM1W5w8rC
— Luke Rudkowski (@Lukewearechange) September 14, 2017
A lot of stores around @UCBerkeley are closing early today, and boarding up, as a precaution during #BenAtBerkeley @benshapiro pic.twitter.com/7ukSbhp7xQ
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation) September 14, 2017
The Berkeley City Council lifted a 20-year ban on pepper spray this week. Police said they would not hesitate to arrest anyone wearing a mask who refused to remove it.