Last week's scrapped appearance by conservative author Ann Coulter cost uc berkeley over half a million dollars in police overtime, according to Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern.
After the university withdrew its invitation to Coulter, the conservative pundit vowed that she would give the speech anyway. Coulter, however, cancelled her appearance after organizations sponsoring the event backed out, citing concerns for Coulter's safety.
Protesters and counterprotesters squared off in Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park over Coulter's scheduled appearance and engaged in a shouting match, but the tensions didn't erupt into violence, as they did earlier this year.
February's clash during former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos' appearance resulted in numerous arrests and several hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property damage, with much of the damage taking place at the university's student center.
More than 400 officers were required to keep the peace
With conservative speakers being attacked at college campuses across the country in recent months, Bay Area police were on high alert in anticipation of a repeat of February's riot.
Sheriff Ahern told the San Francisco Chronicle that he expects to be reimbursed by UC Berkeley.
More than ten different law enforcement bodies were on hand at UC Berkeley last Thursday. The police departments of Oakland, Hayward and San Leandro were on the scene, joined by the California Highway Patrol, the Alameda County Sheriff's Department and police detachments from six other University of California campuses.
Many of the 400 officers dispatched to UC Berkeley ended up working overtime, at an approximate cost of $1,021 per officer. However, since the law enforcement presence is considered "mutual aid", UC Berkeley most likely won't be forced to pay the entire bill.
Open season on conservatives
Violence against conservative speakers has become a disturbing trend since the inauguration of President Trump.
While the February riots at UC Berkeley garnered some coverage by mainstream media, other incidents were largely ignored. In early March, for instance, conservative author Charles Murray and professor Allison Stanger were attacked by a mob of protesters in black masks at Middlebury College in Vermont. While Murray was not seriously injured, Stanger suffered a concussion and neck injuries.
