Milo Yiannopoulos’s Univ. of Wash. Speech Costs $75K in Security fees

The event led to violence and a shooting on the UW campus.

March 27, 2017 CS Staff

Milo Yiannopoulos’s Univ. of Wash. Speech Costs $75K in Security fees

Bike police in riot gear tended to the UW shooting victim and he was taken to a local hospital.

The speech by controversial right wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos at the University of Washington cost more than $75,000.

A large majority of the money put into the event went toward University of Washington and Seattle police officer overtime costs, reports the Seattle Times.

The Jan. 20 event was met with violent protests and a person was shot on campus. University officials have since defended their decision to host Yiannopoulos and commended the efforts of law enforcement.

The University of Washington dispatched 29 officers for the event while the Seattle Police Department dispatched 95 officers.

The departments collaborate through a mutual aid agreement.

The fees, uncovered through public records and interviews, do not include the cost of equipment, meals and the continuing investigation into the shooting.

Schools across the country have followed varying policies in regard to handling the costs of provocative events, including paying fees after a certain amount and passing the fees on to students.

The UW College Republicans invited Yiannopoulos to speak. The student group has also since praised police officers’ actions during the contentious event.

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