‘Conservative’ Milo Yiannopoulos’ Free-Speech Event Fizzles

26 September 2016

G. EDWARD GRIFFIN’S NEED TO KNOW: Milo Yiannopoulos, a provocateur who identifies himself as conservative, organized a four-day free-speech event at Berkeley and advertised that former White House staffer, Steve Bannon, and Ann Coulter also would be speaking. However, they cancelled and other high profile speakers said they never were scheduled to speak.  At the last minute, the Berkley Patriots, who were the sponsors of the event, dropped out, so everything was canceled.  Milo showed up anyway for 20 minutes and posed for photos with fans and signed autographs. School officials called in extra law enforcement just in case and say that the stunt cost $800,000 for security.

FOX NEWS — A picture may be worth a thousand words, but is it worth $800,000?

Officials at the University of California, Berkeley, said the brief appearance of right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos on campus Sunday cost the school $800,000 to ensure his safety.

Yiannopoulos appeared at the steps of the iconic Sproul Hall – the birthplace of the 1960’s Free Speech movement – after his highly anticipated Free Speech Week was abruptly canceled.

The open-air event lasted less than an hour. Yiannopoulos spent the time taking pictures with fans, signing his new book and took part in the national anthem.

Attendees — including Yiannopoulos — had to pass through metal detectors.

Dan Mogulof, a campus spokesman, dubbed the event “the most expensive photo-op in the university’s history,” The San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Police arrested at least 11, including four dressed in an all-black outfits commonly worn by the violent Antifa group, The Mercury News reported. One man who sported a “Make America Great Again” message was also detained.

This is the second time recently that the school had to spend six figures to ensure the safety of a conservative. Ben Shapiro appeared on campus two weeks ago and the school said it spent $600,000 at that event.

Shapiro at that time blamed the city’s radical Antifa agitators who were the reason UC Berkeley had to spend such money on safety. “Free speech isn’t free. It costs over $600,000 thanks to Antifa,” he tweeted. […]