Coulter clash at UC Berkeley costly for university

The cost to keep the peace following conservative pundit Ann Coulter’s canceled trip to UC Berkeley last week was not cheap, officials said Tuesday.

Bay Area law enforcement agencies called in to prevent violence from erupting on campus after Coulter’s appearance there was scuttled on Thursday cost a total of a half-million dollars in overtime, said Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern.

Supporters and counterprotesters showed up at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park a few blocks from campus. While the two sides shouted at each other, the day did not devolve into the riot-like violence that characterized earlier political clashes in Berkeley, like the visit from right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos in early February that ended with an estimated hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage.

BERKELEY, CA - APRIL 27: A protester raises his fist after speaking with police officers at UC Berkeley on April 27, 2017 in Berkeley, California. Protestors gathered in Berkeley to protest the cancellation of a speech by American conservative political commentator Ann Coulter at UC Berkeley. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images) less BERKELEY, CA - APRIL 27: A protester raises his fist after speaking with police officers at UC Berkeley on April 27, 2017 in Berkeley, California. Protestors gathered in Berkeley to protest the cancellation of ... more Photo: Elijah Nouvelage, Getty Images Photo: Elijah Nouvelage, Getty Images Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Coulter clash at UC Berkeley costly for university 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

While the most recent demonstrations turned out to be relatively peaceful, law enforcement officers summoned from around the Bay Area prepared for the worst.

Ahern estimated his agency alone spent about $80,000 in overtime and he expects to be reimbursed by the University of California.

The Oakland Police Department, San Leandro Police Department, California Highway Patrol and six other UC campuses sent officers to Berkeley on Thursday after Coulter’s speech on campus was canceled.

Sgt. Sabrina Reich, a spokeswoman for the UC Berkeley Police Department, said the department is working with a number of law enforcement agencies to reimburse the costs they incurred.

An official estimate of the total cost to be reimbursements is not yet available, Reich said.

Filipa Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi