Twitter Reacts To Milo Yiannopoulos' Failed 'Free Speech' Rally At UC Berkeley

Far-right speaker Milo Yiannopoulos made an appearance Sunday at the University of California, Berkeley, after his much-hyped “Free-Speech Week" was canceled. At the rally that lasted for barely 15 minutes, Yiannopoulos was interrupted by protesters' loud chants after he tried to address a small gathering of supporters.

The former Breitbart editor and a self-described “troll," known for rallying against women and minorities online, had earlier been thwarted from speaking at the university after violent protests broke out at the venue in February. On Sunday too, Yiannopoulos arrived at the venue and found both his supporters and protestors at the event.

Standing on the steps of Sproul Hall, Yiannopoulos started speaking to a handful of people, only to find his voice being drowned out by the chants of protestors. “Rich, famous celebrities are on their knees disrespecting your flag,” was one his few audible comments, seemingly referring to National Football League (NFL) players’ protests after President Donald Trump made a controversial remark on Friday, the Washington Post reported.

Trump made the remark at a rally held for Sen. Luther Strange (R-Alabama) where he lashed out at NFL players for protesting during the national anthem by kneeling. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’” he said.

During the event on Sunday, Yiannopoulos was seen wearing sunglasses and an American flag hoodie under a denim jacket. He spoke without a microphone because the university did not permit the use of the mic. After trying to speak for a while, Yiannopoulos sang the national anthem. He also took selfies with the crowd and obliged the people who asked him for autographs. The speaker was also seen holding placards that read “Feminism is cancer.”

The rally sparked criticism on Twitter and one user went on to say that he deserved to be arrested.

However, some users, who supported Yiannpoulos, said they were proud of him.

Apart from his comments, Yiannopoulos also attracted criticism for his attire.

After the rally, Yiannopoulos posted pictures with supporters on Facebook and wrote he was disappointed with the way the event was organized by the college: “The vast majority of the crowd was still waiting outside, being held by police when I spoke. The entire Berkeley College Republican group was refused entry. The police even had a device that was nuking our drone signal. We were denied any amplified sound whatsoever and police refused to remove screeching protesters who made it impossible to deliver any speeches.”

He added: “I'd have come out today if a SINGLE person wanted to hear me and got into the plaza. And I'll keep coming. Thanks to everyone who stood out in the sun. God bless everyone. Despite the machinations of every component of the Berkeley and UC Berkeley administration, we showed up. We will keep showing up.”

The “Free-Speech Week” that was set to begin Sunday was expected to bring a slew of right-wing speakers to the famously left-leaning university, which was criticized in recent months that it did not support conservative free speech.

According to SFGate, Yiannopoulos’ 15-minute appearance cost the university an estimated $800,000 in security and related expenses. Campus spokesman Dan Mogulof called it “the most expensive photo op in the university’s history.”