Controversial speaker Milo Yiannopoulos’ return visit to UCI is more peaceful than the first
Gay conservative speaker Milo Yiannopoulos returned to UC Irvine on Sunday, minus the picketing and shouting that accompanied his visit to the campus in June.
The College Republicans at UCI invited Yiannopoulos, an editor for right-leaning website Breitbart.com, for a second time for a rally supporting GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Before Sunday, some UCI students had posted an online petition, which as of Friday had more than 1,000 signatures, urging Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Thomas Parham to keep Yiannopoulos off the campus.
The rally at the university’s Crystal Cove Auditorium didn’t attract protesters, but the UCI Police Department and student affairs staff were present before, during and shortly after the event, according to university officials.
Yiannopoulos’ first visit to UCI in June drew a crowd of more than 500 hoping to hear his critiques on topics such as feminism, which he called “cancerous,” and white privilege, which he believes “doesn’t exist.” About 40 students demonstrated outside the lecture hall against his presence, leading to shouting matches with some of Yiannopoulos’ supporters.
Twitter: @AlexandraChan10
