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Conservative Provacateur Yiannopoulos Attending 'Free Speech Week' At UC

BERKELEY (KPIX) -- Conservative writer Milo Yiannapoulos - was in the Bay Area Saturday talking about his plan to return to UC Berkeley.

Yiannapoulos says there will be a so-called "Free Speech Week" on campus. It's a four-day event on Sproul Plaza from September 24th to 27th.

About six months ago, Milo came to Cal to speak at the invitation of college Republicans, but riots broke out on campus prompting administrators to call off the talk on short notice.

He says the upcoming event will cover a wide ideological spectrum.

"We are going to bring all the people that leftist campus censors hate the most," he said. "But we are also sending invitations to liberals, too. We want debates on stage, we want battles of ideas. We want to really have a live demonstration of the value of classical liberalism, of an open marketplace of ideas."

He says he fully expects protests but is urging non-violence on all sides.

"I want the violence to be verbal, and I want it to be on stage. And I want the audience to be comprised of people who don't agree, who come along not knowing what to expect, not knowing what they are going to see and hopefully some of them will have their minds changed. I hope they have their minds changed in my direction. Maybe the other guy will be better. Who knows?"

Yiannopoulos says school officials have been cooperative so far and he hopes that continues.

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