Hundreds of protesters face off with police in riot gear as conservative radio host Ben Shapiro speaks to crowd at UC Berkeley
By Regina F. Graham
Daily Mail
September 15, 2017
Ben Shapiro took the stage at UC Berkeley Thursday evening as hundreds gathered outside protesting against the conservative political commentator and two people were arrested for allegedly carrying weapons.
The 33-year-old former Breitbart News editor was roughly 20 minutes to the event being hosted at Zellerback Hall on the campus, but he thanked the large crowd once he began his speech.
'Berkeley has actually achieved building a wall before Donald Trump did,' he said.
The Harvard Law School graduate who is now the editor in chief of DailyWire.com mentioned the significant security and how attendees had to go through an extensive screening process that included metal detectors.
His speech focused on the anti-fascist movement and the criticism that it's received.
'America is watching because you guys are so stupid,' the conservative radio host said. 'You can all go to hell you pathetic, lying, stupid, jackasses.'
Campus Republicans invited him to the popular California university as part of his tour called 'Campus Thuggery.'
But Shapiro's appearance in the Bay Area drew hundreds of protesters who gathered just off campus.
Police with riot gear surrounded the plaza in front of Zellerbach Hall.
Authorities say at least two people were detained during the Refuse Fascism rally.
City police say 20-year-old Hannah Benjamin was arrested Thursday for battery on a police officer and carrying a banned weapon.
Meanwhile, 44-year-old Sarah Roark was taken into custody for carrying a banned weapon.
UC spokesman Dan Mogulof said the university went through 'extraordinary lengths — in some ways unprecedented' to ensure that the event would be a success.
He said roughly $600,000 was spent on security, with another $9,000 for internal security provided by the student group.
There was several checkpoints outside the auditorium where the speech was planned, and officers were looking to confiscate banned items such as shields, masks, bandanas, poles and torches, UC Berkeley Police Chief Margo Bennett said.
For the first time in two decades, city officers were authorized by the City Council to use pepper spray to control violence.
University police did not intend to use pepper spray but 'that's not saying we won't if circumstances call for them,' Bennett said.
Plus, several streets around the campus were closed off Thursday with concrete and plastic barriers ahead of Shapiro's evening appearance.
The city and campus have become a flashpoint this year for the country's political divisions, drawing extremist groups from the left and right.
'We can't turn a blind eye to reality and to what we've learned from recent events on this campus and in this city and around the country,' Mogulof said earlier on Thursday.
He said the school is committed to ensuring the safety of students and people attending the event, and to making it successful.
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DEMONSTRATION WAS NOTHINGBURGER...THIS TIME
by Bob Walsh
The Anti-Fa thugs got virtually zero action in Berkeley on Thursday night. The cops were there in force and this time seemed to be actually interested in doing their job rather than standing around and letting the thuggery take place. Only two people were arrested, both white women. One was arrested for battery on a cop for spitting on an officer. She seemed surprised that that was not considered a legitimate exercise of free speech. The other was arrested for general stupidity and assholeishness.
It may get more interesting in a couple of weeks when other people appear. The guy from Thursday, Ben Shapiro, is actually a very middle-of-the-road conservative and, being an observant Jew, is in no way a white supremacist. The line-up for "Free Speech Week" later in the month includes (potentially) some serious lightning-rod conservatives.
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