This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38837142
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
UC Berkeley cancels Breitbart speaker as students protest | UC Berkeley cancels Breitbart speaker as students protest |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The University of California at Berkeley has cancelled a talk by the editor of the right-wing Breitbart News website, Milo Yiannopoulos, after student protests against his visit. | |
Mr Yiannopoulos is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump. | Mr Yiannopoulos is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump. |
Hundreds of students rallied and were faced by riot police. At least one fire was started and police fired tear gas, as the campus was put on lockdown. | |
There are no reports of arrests or serious injuries. | |
Mr Yiannopoulos's comments have been criticised as racist and misogynist. | |
Last year he was banned from Twitter after leading a campaign against Ghostbusters actress Leslie Jones. | |
Berkeley College Republicans sponsored Mr Yiannopoulos's visit. | |
Their spokesman Pieter Sittler said they didn't agree with everything he said, but "he gives a voice to repressed conservative thought on American college campuses". | Their spokesman Pieter Sittler said they didn't agree with everything he said, but "he gives a voice to repressed conservative thought on American college campuses". |
UC Berkeley stressed that it had not invited Mr Yiannopoulos, but had rejected earlier calls to cancel the event. | UC Berkeley stressed that it had not invited Mr Yiannopoulos, but had rejected earlier calls to cancel the event. |
Students protested peacefully earlier in the day, but later some broke windows at the hall where the talk was due to be held, threw smoke bombs and started a fire on Sproul Plaza. | |
Last November, Mr Yiannopoulos's old school cancelled a talk he had been due to give. | |
The Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in Canterbury, England, said they took the decision partly because of the threat of demonstrations. |