Three arrests after fistfights between right, left at UC Berkeley

Berkeley police arrested three people after several fist fights broke out between liberals and conservatives when dozens of people gathered for a short time at Sproul Plaza Tuesday afternoon.

Members of a conservative group called Patriot Prayer arrived near Sproul Plaza around 2 p.m. and were met by protesters, including representatives of the leftist activist group By Any Means Necessary. Neither of the groups are student groups, and students and faculty — busy with midterms — did not appear to get involved in the rally or protest.

Kyle Chapman, who faces eight years in state prison, is claiming a "war against whites" as he speaks in a Berkeley park on Sept. 26, 2017. Kyle Chapman, who faces eight years in state prison, is claiming a "war against whites" as he speaks in a Berkeley park on Sept. 26, 2017. Photo: Kimberly Veklerov Photo: Kimberly Veklerov Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Three arrests after fistfights between right, left at UC Berkeley 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

After the two groups scuffled inside an “empathy tent,” set up on campus to offer a calm space in what has been an area of violent clashes, they marched to People’s Park in Berkeley.

UC police and law enforcement agencies monitored the event, advising the public to stay clear of the area as the crowd swelled to about 200.

Police said Yvette Felarca, 47, of Oakland, was arrested for battery and resisting arrest; Ricky Joseph Monzon, 20, of Las Vegas, was arrested for carrying a banned weapon; and Eddy Robinson, 47, of Oakland, was arrested on charges of participating in a riot and resisting arrest.

At People’s Park, Patriot Prayer speakers, including Kyle “Stickman” Chapman, decried what he called a war on whites and said the ongoing demonstrations are a “battle for Berkeley.”

Chapman was arrested during a March protest and was charged in August with possession of a lead-filled stick. He faces eight years in prison, because of a previous violent felony conviction in Texas. He initially emerged as a hero for white supremacists, but later said he wasn’t a racist because he has an Asian wife.

Afterward, the Patriot Prayer group walked through the campus, chanting and posing for group photos. Some students stopped to take photos or look at the crowd.

Cal officials said they were prepared for any protests or unofficial events even after student organizers canceled Free Speech Week, a four-day event for conservative activists to speak on campus, costing an estimated $800,000 to provide “unprecedented” security and support from local law enforcement agencies.

Jill Tucker, Kimberly Veklerov and Lizzie Johnson are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com, ljohnson@sfchronicle.com and kveklerov@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @jilltucker, @lizziejohnsonnn and @kveklerov.