UC Berkeley protest spills into city streets, buildings vandalized

Berkeley police were investigating a hit-and-run on Wednesday night involving a white BMW and protesters in Berkeley after a protest at UC Berkeley spread off campus.

The incident occurred at Durant and Telegraph avenues, where protesters blocked cars trying to get through the intersection. Three people climbed onto the hood of a white BMW sedan as it inched forward — then the driver suddenly hit the gas and sped off with one person still on the hood. He eventually fell off and didn't appear to be seriously injured.

Another person who had been on the hood before the car sped off — a high school student who gave her name as Kelsey — said she knew the driver would "pull that" kind of thing.



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Enraged protesters ran after the car as it headed east down Durant Avenue.

In a case of mistaken identity, another driver, in a dark-colored sedan, farther down the block had his car beaten with sticks. At least one on the crowd pepper-sprayed the man.

Berkeley police said they were also receiving reports “that persons are setting fires to banks in the area Center Street & Shattuck Avenue as well as more fighting in the crowds.”

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets after police demanded that they leave Sproul Plaza, where they had taken down barricades and pelted police with firecrackers and bricks earlier in the evening while storming the student union building to protest a scheduled appearance by right-wing Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos.

Protesters used the Yiannopoulos event to protest against what they called his hate speech, President Trump’s policies, including his vow to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and his ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries.

As protesters moved through the streets of Berkeley, they left in their wake signs of their anger: toppled over trash cans and profane graffiti on local businesses. When they reached Durant Avenue, marchers stopped to check out a street artist display of spray paintings, many bearing messages against the president.

Those were spared.

Michael Bodley and Nanette Asimov are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com and nasimov@sfchronicle.com