Feb. 6 (UPI) — The University of California at Berkeley spent nearly $4 million in one month for extra security during speaking events for conservative commentators last year, according to reports Monday.
Between Aug. 27 and Sept. 27, the University of California Police Department spent $3.9 million to beef up security when right-wing personalities Milo Yiannapoulos and Ben Shapiro visited the campus, spurring protests and counter-protests that sometimes turned violent.
A late September event titled “Free Speech Week,” which was ultimately canceled, ended up costing the public university more than $2.8 million, the Daily Californian reported.
More than half of the nearly $4 million went to pay for reinforcements, including $485,283 for the Shapiro event on Sept. 13 and $1,858,320 for Yiannapoloulos’ canceled event.
The university’s decision to increase security came after “150 masked agitators” caused more than $100,000 in damage ahead of a planned appearance by Yiannapoulos in February 2017.
“Event security costs of this magnitude are not sustainable, even as many of the factors that drive them are beyond the control or influence of a University,” said Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ, according to the Washington Free Beacon. “We would have certainly preferred to expend these precious resources on our academic mission.”
