Chaos that erupted at the University of California, Berkeley, to oppose right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos was shocking not just for the images of protesters setting fires, smashing windows and hurling explosives at police, but because of where it took place.
UC Berkeley is the birthplace of the free-speech movement and has been known for more than a half-century as a bastion of tolerance. As the university cleaned up, it struggled with questions of why the violence spun out of control and what has happened to the open-minded Berkeley of the 1960s.
"It was not a proud night for this campus," school spokesman Dan Mogulof said, later adding, "We are proud of our history and legacy as the home of the free-speech movement."
The school prides itself on its liberalism and political correctness, but many on campus pointed to the irony of the historical fight for free speech turning into a suppression of unpopular views.
The mayhem achieved its goal of cancelling an appearance by Yiannopoulos, a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and a self-proclaimed internet troll whose comments have been criticised as racist, misogynist and anti-Muslim.
"Berkeley has always stood for self-expression," said Russell Ude, a 20-year-old football player. "Things like this discredit peaceful protest."
Philosophy professor John Searle, a leader of the free-speech movement and professor since 1959, called the cancellation "an absolute scandal." He said most of what Yiannoupolos professes is "disgusting" but that he's entitled to be heard.
"Free speech has to be allowed for everyone," Searle said.
Yiannopoulos told Fox News' Tucker Carlson that police did not seem to do much and that he was whisked away by car after putting on a bulletproof vest.
"This is political violence in response to perfectly mainstream opinions," he said.
Peaceful protests grew to a crowd of over 1,500, police estimated, before "more than 100 armed individuals clad in ninja-like uniforms" showed up. They hurled fireworks, Molotov cocktails and rocks at officers, UC Berkeley Police Chief Margo Bennett said.
President Donald Trump tweeted about the unrest , questioning whether Berkeley should be granted federal funding: "If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view - NO FEDERAL FUNDS?"
The debate extended to the state Senate, where Democrats urged Trump not to take aim at elite universities and Republicans bemoaned what they characterised as a campus culture that devalues free speech.
"Universities should be the most open, the most welcoming harbour of all ideas, left or right," Republican Senator Ted Gaines said. "But they have turned into rigid ideological prisons where stepping outside the latest progressive liberal path is considered a thought crime."
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