EAST LANSING, MI -- Protests broke out on Michigan State University's campus Wednesday night, Dec. 7, before speaker Milo Yiannopoulos' event scheduled by Spartans for Free Speech.

Yiannopoulos, who calls himself "the most fabulous supervillain on the internet," is widely known for his cultural narrative against political correctness.

"I think the form of comedy he uses brings these topics to the table in a way that makes them a little more real," said Ross Izzo, a senior physiology student at Michigan State. "He talks about topics on a level that doesn't care about these people's feelings. It's all based on facts, not feelings, and I think that's why people want to see him."

A protest organized by Which Side MSU? sought to shut down the event, but more than MSU students turned out to voice opposition against Yiannopoulos.

Leo Cooper, a junior at Gull Lake High School, traveled an hour and 20 minutes with his father to protest.

"This should not be accepted," Cooper said. "It is giving a platform for white supremacy and hate speech."

Cooper's cousin, Michigan State freshman Nell Barlow, was also protesting the university's allowance of what she calls a "hate speaker."

"MSU should protect against the presence of someone as hateful as Milo," Barlow said.

Yiannopoulos was banned from Twitter in July 2016 for an altercation with comedian Leslie Jones, which The New York Times reported as being possible abuse.

The speech was a sold-out event. But before it started, police intervened.

An East Lansing Police Sergeant warned through a loudspeaker that blocking the entrance was unlawful assembly. Police gave a five-minute warning and then began dispersing the crowd from blocking entry.

Multiple people were put in handcuffs by police for failure to follow orders.

"I've heard a lot from both sides," said bystander Ashley Heska, a junior music student at Michigan State. "Whenever there is a protest it is interesting to see what is going on. I haven't seen a lot of police brutality around here. So if they are arresting someone, it probably is for good reason."

At one point, Yiannopoulos was disguised as a protester. He took the disguise off in the middle of a crowd, exchanged a few words with a smile, and was police-escorted into a neighboring building.

Yiannopoulos stayed in the building under police guard until about 6:55 p.m. before a police escort brought him back to Conrad Hall, 888 Wilson Road.

Spartans for Free Speech members were unavailable for comment during the protest, stating earlier Wednesday that they received threats and were concerned for their safety.

The group released a statement on why it was hosting Yiannopoulos: "We believe political-correctness has gone too far. Who better to address this outrage culture than an outrageous speaker who has been dubbed "the most fabulous supervillain on the internet?"