These UC Berkeley Protest Photos Speak Volumes

In July 2016, Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopolus was permanently banned from Twitter. On Wednesday, he was also driven out of his second college campus in just a matter of weeks, when his scheduled speech at the University of California, Berkeley was canceled due to violent protests.The photos from Wednesday's UC Berkeley protests clearly show how Yiannopoulos' speech wound up a no-go.

Yiannopoulos was set to speak on Wednesday evening in a UC Berkeley auditorium. According to The Los Angeles Times, the scheduled speech set off a wave of violent protests on Berkeley's campus, leading to broken windows and at least one fire on campus. Last month, protests at the University of California, Davis led to the cancellation of Yiannopoulos' scheduled speech on that campus, as well. For someone with a career in communication, Yiannopoulos has struggled to find an audience on UC campuses.

Neither instance marks the first time that Yiannopoulos has elicited such a response from the public. He's known for his particularly offensive form of conservatism. For example, he once wrote in a Brietbart story, "The solution to online ‘harassment’ is simple: Women should log off.” His permanent suspension from Twitter came after he harassed actress Leslie Jones on the microblog site. This time around, the controversy surrounding — and stemming from — Yiannopoulos was IRL and all-too-unsettling for the Berkeley campus.

The Crowd

According to tweets, witnesses estimate the crowd of protestors to number in the thousands.

The Dark

Protestors remained gathered and steadfast even in the dark.

The Lockdown

Protests turned violent as demonstrators allegedly set fires and fireworks. Then, there was also damage to nearby buildings.

The Fire

If this hadn't sent a clear message, then nothing would have.

The Student Union

It looks like the crowd may have literally torn down walls in its protest of Yiannopoulos, who supports President Trump.

This Fence

This blockade couldn't hold the crowd back.

The Auditorium

Without a safe place to speak, Yiannopoulos reportedly left campus shortly before 7 p.m. PT.

The Signs

Since Trump's inauguration, protest signs may have become as prolific on social media as selfies.

The Band

An impromptu band session added a soundtrack to the ongoing protests.

The "War Zone"

Far from any militia, protestors turned the Berkeley campus into what some described as a "war zone."

The "Victory Party"

Where some saw a war zone, others saw a celebration. This "victory party" broke out after police announced that Yiannopoulos had left campus.

For his part, Yiannopoulos confirmed the protests and his canceled speech on Facebook. "I have been evacuated from the UC Berkeley campus after violent left-wing protestors tore down barricades, lit fires, threw rocks and Roman candles at the windows and breached the ground floor of the building," he wrote. Protests appeared to continue even after he was evacuated.