Speaker worried:
Ex-Breitbart editor concerned about violence when he speaks in Berkeley next month.
One of the right-wing speakers invited to UC Berkeley to speak next month said he’s worried about violence breaking out and is urging supporters not to come out in his defense.
Former Breitbart News editor Ben Shapiro said he looks forward to speaking at UC Berkeley on Sept. 14 and plans to address tribalism in the United States. Still, he has safety concerns.
“I’m actively telling people not to show up to defend my free speech,” Shapiro told The Chronicle. “That’s the police’s job. If people want to come protest me, more power to you.”
Shapiro is one of two conservative speakers that UC
Berkeley is preparing to host at separate events next month. The other, former Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos, planned to speak on campus in February, but the event was canceled amid violent protests.
Shapiro is scheduled to speak 7 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, which seats just over 1,900 people. The Berkeley College Republicans, the campus group that invited Shapiro to speak, expects a sold-out crowd, campus spokesman Dan Mogulof said.
Mogulof said the university charged Berkeley College Republicans $15,000 in security fees based on the crowd’s size. The fees were paid for by Young America’s Foundation, a conservative outreach group, Shapiro said.
Another campus group, the Berkeley Patriot, invited Yiannopoulos for its “Free Speech Week” event, scheduled for Sept. 2427. The university is working with the Berkeley Patriot to determine an exact date, time and venue for Yiannopoulos’ appearance.
Mogulof said that at this time, Yiannopoulos is the only confirmed speaker for that event. He and representatives of the Berkeley Patriot would not confirm reports that former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and conservative author Ann Coulter had been invited for Free Speech Week.
The Berkeley Patriot said it would release details about the event in the next few days.
Security is a concern for the university after the violent protests in February that forced police to cancel Yiannopoulos’ appearance on campus.
Masked protesters threw fireworks and stormed the building where Yiannopoulos was to speak a few hours later. He was evacuated and the event was canceled, but protests continued throughout the evening and into the streets of Berkeley. Some people threw bricks and fireworks at police officers and smashed the windows of banks and stores.
UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ released a letter to the Berkeley community Wednesday addressing Yiannopoulos’ and Shapiro’s upcoming appearances. She said violence would not be tolerated and it was critical for Berkeley to come together in support of free speech.
Yiannopoulos shared the letter on his Facebook page and noted the difference he sees between now and six months ago.
“Let's hope Berkeley sticks to this commitment to free expression,” he wrote.