Controversial political commentator, Milo Yiannopoulos, will make an appearance at Cal Poly Thursday.
Dozens of police officers from across the state are in San Luis Obispo, preparing for potential protests.
Yiannopoulos will take part in a "Fake News" panel discussion, hosted by the Cal Poly College Republicans and the right-wing nonprofit, Turning Point U.S.A.
Yiannopoulos spoke at Cal Poly in January 2017. His speech then sold out and prompted protests outside the event.
Weeks later, he resigned as editor of Breitbart Tech after coming under fire over comments about sexual relationships between boys and older men.
Anticipation for Thursday’s event has been growing since a controversial photo of a Cal Poly fraternity brother in blackface surfaced online.
Critics say Yiannopoulos’ visit will only fan the flames of that backlash. Meanwhile, supporters maintain Yiannopoulos has a right to visit campus and speak.
Yiannopoulos has already made comments related to the Cal Poly blackface incident before Thursday’s panel event.
He arrived in San Luis Obispo this week and posted the following on Instagram:
While the 2017 Yiannopoulos event at Cal Poly was peaceful, his controversial views have prompted violence at other events across the country.
Cal Poly police addressed a university board this week about how they plan to keep people safe Thursday.
Officers from all over California are arriving to serve as back-up. There will be barricades, as well as rooftop lookouts for potential active shootings, according to Cal Poly police.
The California State University system is expected to shell out more than $55,000 in security costs for Thursday’s event.
The Fake News panel starts at 7 p.m. in the Mott Athletic Center at Cal Poly.
Stay with KSBY for live, team coverage of the event and any corresponding protests throughout the day.
