A female Donald Trump supporter was pepper-sprayed on Wednesday night by an anti-Trump protester while she was giving an on-camera interview at the University of California, Berkeley.
"I'm looking to make a statement by just being here, and I think the protesters are doing the same," Kiara Robles told KGO-TV. "Props to the ones who are doing it non-violently, but I think that's a very rare thing indeed."
Within seconds of that comment, someone wearing black gloves came over and pepper-sprayed Robles in the face and then quickly ran away. It is not completely clear why Robles was targeted, but she was wearing a red "Make Bitcoin Great Again" hat that resembled Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign hat as protests broke out to oppose a Trump supporter scheduled to speak on campus.
Soon after Robles was pepper-sprayed, she told KGO that she was doing alright.
Here is a clip of the incident that Robles' friend posted on Twitter:
My friend was giving an interview when some coward peppersprayed her #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/CDpEqDsw2A
— janey (@janeygak) February 2, 2017
The protests that quickly turned into rioting were ignited when Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos was scheduled to speak to the UC Berkeley College Republicans chapter, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
CNN correspondent Kyung Lah covered the protests against Yiannopoulos and President Donald Trump, which quickly deteriorated into riots and chaos outside a university building where Yiannopoulos was supposed to speak. As violence began at the scene, Yiannopoulos was taken away and officials canceled the speech. A speech scheduled for Thursday at UCLA has also been canceled.
A portable light and its generator were set on fire, which set a nearby tree ablaze as well. Windows of buildings were smashed in and barriers were moved and thrown. Some rioters had homemade riot shields with them. Flares were thrown at windows as well.
There were reports of police on the scene, although none were visible in footage on the ground. The campus was reportedly placed on lockdown as the riots grew worse.
The perpetrators of the initial protests and the subsequent riots are unknown, but they are believed to have included students, professors, and many local protesters not affiliated with the school, which has a long history of liberal activism.
Robles posted a picture on Twitter with some friends and beer following the incident to let her followers know she survived the "peaceful protests."
We survive the peaceful protests. Glad to see intellectual debates are valued at UC Berkeley. 😉 #MiloAtCalpic.twitter.com/RRVgu9Q269
— Kiara Robles (@kiarafrobles) February 2, 2017