Violence erupts in Berkeley; Breitbart's Yiannopoulis evacuated to safety

Conservative firebrand and Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulis had to be evacuated from the campus of UC berkeley after demonstrations turned violent on Wednesday evening. Far-left protesters, clad in black and wearing masks, threw fireworks at campus police, metal barriers were torn down, windows were smashed and one female Yiannopoulis supporter was pepper-sprayed in the face while giving an interview to ABC News.

CNN reports that the demonstrations-- which are still in progress as of this writing-- drew more than 1,500 protesters, who gathered outside the university's student center. The university has stated that, so far, at least one individual has been injured.

Milo evacuated by campus security

Milo Yiannopoulis, who was scheduled to speak Wednesday evening, was evacuated from the scene "amid the violence and destruction of property and out of concern for public safety", says CNN.

Yiannopoulis issued a statement after the evacuation, assuring his supporters that he was safe. He ended his statement by saying: "One thing we do know for sure: the Left is absolutely terrified of free speech and will do literally anything to shut it down".

Breitbart News has issued live updates throughout the evening. According to Breitbart, police have announced that the riot has moved into South Berkeley. Rioters have spray painted graffiti reading "Kill Trump" in downtown Berkeley, while photos show a trashed Student Union after violent protesters attempted to storm the building. Videos of the riot show protesters destroying ATM machines with baseball bats.

Woman pepper-sprayed in face

At 10:39 p.m., a video posted to Twitter shows a female Milo Yiannopoulis supporter being pepper-sprayed in the face while being interviewed on camera by ABC News.

At 11:17 p.m., campus police ordered students in the area to shelter in place.

At 11:44 p.m., Berkeley Police confirmed that rioters surrounded a vehicle, dragged the driver out of the car and began beating him.

Breitbart News claims that the organizers behind the riot are the groups ANTIFA and Bay Area Socialists.