A crush of student protesters shut down a Friday evening event featuring controversial Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos and "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli at UC Davis before either man's speech could begin. Chanting "Say it loud, say it clear, racists are not welcome here," protesters blocked access to the venue until campus security officers informed the UC Davis College Republicans, who were hosting the talks, that the event could not continue with guaranteed safety for attendees.
UC Davis released a statement saying protesters were not responsible for any property damage or violence and only one arrest was made. Still, Interim Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter said he was "deeply disappointed" in the Davis campus community for failing to demonstrate "respect for all views, even those that we personally find repellent." "As I have stated repeatedly," he added, "a university is at its best when it listens to and critically engages opposing views, especially ones that many of us find upsetting or even offensive."
Yiannopoulos on Facebook Saturday morning disputed the university's account of the previous night. "Campus police say there was 'no violence' last night," he wrote, "But my guests told Breitbart reporters last night" stories of protester violence including fecal projectiles, punches, and hot coffee thrown at an ABC News reporter, the latter of which was independently confirmed on Twitter. "We will be pursuing this matter further," Yiannopoulos assured his readers.
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