Conservative radio host Ben Shapiro was met with protests during his talk at the University of California Berkeley when demonstrators swarmed outside chanting various slogans to let him know that Black and Brown bodies matter.
CNN reports that police stood in full riot gear and took extensive security measures by shutting down surrounding buildings during the protest. Law enforcement officials also shut down surrounding buildings and set up a large perimeter around the hall where Shapiro spoke and answered questions Thursday evening.
The protests were mostly peaceful with the exception of a fight between a Shapiro supporter and another woman, the new outlet reported.
“Black lives matter!” the demonstrators chanted repeatedly as the known conservative addressed the crowd.
Officials hoped to avoid the kind of violence that took place when right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos spoke on campus in February. The school incurred roughly $100,000 worth of damage to the public university’s property back then, when fireworks, rocks and Molotov cocktails were thrown on campus, forcing school administrations to cancel the event.
According to the university, “150 masked agitators” were responsible for some of the violence.