BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) – The University of California at Berkeley is bracing for major protests Wednesday against Milo Yiannopoulos (yuh-NAH’-poh-lihs), a polarizing Breitbart News editor, on the last stop of a tour aimed at defying what he calls an epidemic of political correctness on college campuses.
Tight security is planned at Berkeley, where several student groups have called for protests and pledged to shut down the evening event. Several of Yiannopoulous’ talks at other campuses have been canceled due to protests or security reasons.
The 32-year-old right-wing provocateur is a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and a self-proclaimed internet troll whose comments have been criticized as racist, misogynist, anti-Muslim and white supremacist. He was banned from Twitter after leading a harassment campaign against “Ghostbusters” actress Leslie Jones.
His visit to Berkeley is sponsored by the campus Republican club. The university has stressed it did not invite Yiannopoulos and does not endorse his ideas but is committed to free speech and rejected calls to cancel the event.
On Wednesday, the university sent a notice to all students that warned of crowds near the student union, where the 500-seat, sold-out event was scheduled.