A speech by conservative firebrand Milo Yiannopoulos was canceled at the University of California, Berkeley on Wednesday amid violent protest that sparked at least one fire.
Police clashed with protesters, and much of the university was placed on lockdown. Campus police were ordering protesters to leave the area, but many were refusing.
Witnesses said some windows were broken at the auditorium where Yiannopoulos was scheduled to speak.
This marks the second time in two weeks that rowdy protests have forced the cancellation of a Yiannopoulos speech. The same thing happened last month at UC Davis, prompting a debate about free speech protections and how university should response to so-called "hate speech."
Yiannopoulos, who writes for Breitbart News, is a provocateur whose language dovetails with that of the so-called alt-right movement, although he disputes that classification.
The cancellation of his talk at UC Davis sparked debate about the limits of free speech and hate speech. Davis College Republicans decided it was unsafe to continue the event after a large number of protesters blocked access to the venue, according to a release from the school.
UC Davis interim Chancellor Ralph Hexter said he was "deeply disappointed" by the protests and the cancellation.
"Our community is founded on principles of respect for all views, even those that we personally find repellent," Hexter said in a statement after the cancellation. "As I have stated repeatedly, 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."
