After the cancellation of Milo Yiannopoulos’ campus appearance Wednesday night, UCPD will not charge the Berkeley College Republicans — the campus group that invited him — the $6,372 security fee previously associated with the event.
The original agreement between BCR and the campus stipulated that BCR would reimburse the campus for the security fee after the event, according to UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof. The security fee, however, would have been allocated solely toward UCPD security inside the event. Security outside the event, where the protests took place, was covered under UCPD’s budget.
“(BCR) won’t be required to pay it because the event never actually took place,” Mogulof said. “They’re not going to be charged for event security for an event that didn’t happen. The additional security outside the venue … is not the responsibility of the Berkeley College Republicans.”
Last month, UCPD estimated that the security fee would cost about $7,500 to $10,000, but the charge was later reduced, according to BCR Internal Vice President Pieter Sittler.
BCR Treasurer David Craig said an anonymous donor who financed part of the security fee had two conditions for donating: that he remain anonymous and that the event occur. Because the event was canceled, BCR must refund the donor, Craig said.
“I’m told by (an) adviser in the ASUC that any donation to a club from the outside source can be reversed in 10 days,” Craig said.
Mogulof emphasized that waving BCR’s security fee is standard procedure: No student organization would be charged for event security were the event canceled.
“This isn’t an exception,” Mogulof said. “This is standard policy.”