Ben Shapiro hits ‘pathetic, lying, stupid jackasses’ protesting Berkeley speech

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro bashed protesters of his speech at the University of California, Berkeley on Thursday night, which had drawn increased security measures.

“Thanks to antifa and the supposed anti-fascist brigade for exposing what the radical left truly is,” Shapiro said in his speech, referring to anti-fascist, or “antifa,” activists.

“All of America is watching because you guys are so stupid. It’s horrifying, I am grateful, and you can all go to hell, you pathetic, lying, stupid jackasses,” he said.

{mosads}

Shapiro noted that campus officials had said increased security measures had cost the school more than $600,000.

“That is not due to me, it’s due to the antifa, hard-left morons who are out there breaking windows,” he said.

At least three weapons-related arrests were made by police before the event, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

Police set up concrete barriers around a half-mile-long perimeter on the campus Thursday and the Berkeley City Council lifted a ban on pepper spray for police to use to disperse potentially dangerous crowds of protesters at the event, the Times reported.

Shapiro slammed protesters who had previously rioted when right-wing speakers visited the famously liberal campus and who had put up signs and posters condemning his speech Thursday, while praising law enforcement.

“These are the folks that stand between civilization and lawlessness,” Shapiro said of the police, saying “the only people who are standing between those ATMs and the antifa are the police, and all they get from the left is a bunch of crap.”

Shapiro compared Thursday’s speech to his previous appearance on the campus in April 2016, which required far less stringent security measures.

“It was a packed house. I had two security guards, and that was it,” Shapiro said.

“No violence, no nothing. And now we are spending well into six figures so that I can say many of the same things. It’s utterly absurd.”