SF Gate, “Ann Coulter backs out of UC Berkeley speech”
Self-described anarchists who had been debating how to respond to Coulter’s speech on Reddit this week suggested Wednesday that they ought to hold a cookout in Sproul Plaza or a “dance party,” wary of giving the far right what it claims to want: violence. But others said such a tactic, even if unexpected, would accomplish […]
The Five (FOX), “Ann Coulter at UC Berkeley: Riots ‘a step toward chaos and anarchy'”
“These are anarchists how are coming in from around the country who have nothing to do with the Democratic Party,” said Beckel, who added that he also supported Coulter speaking because “every time she opens her mouth, she drives away more people. She’s become more and more irrelevant, so she does something like this to […]
Chicago Tribune, “Battle for Berkeley: Will Ann Coulter spark another clash?”
The campus and the city itself have become a target for militant right-wing organizations that have clashed in recent months with militant left-wing or anarchist groups from the San Francisco Bay Area. Continue Reading
KALW 97.1 San Francisco, “Your Call: Media coverage of white nationalists in the US & the firing of Bill O’Reilly”
We’ll also talk about last weekend’s violent street clashes between white-nationalists, anarchists, and local activists in Berkeley. How did the media frame the protest and why has Berkeley become a magnet for white nationalists? Continue Reading
The New York Times, “Berkeley Cancels Ann Coulter Speech Over Safety Fears”
The violent clashes in Berkeley have presented a dilemma for the police, who say intervening has its own risks. Anarchist groups have for years appeared at protests in neighboring Oakland, punctuating peaceful demonstrations by smashing shop windows and attacking public buildings. Continue Reading
Washington Examiner, “UC-Berkeley: The place where free speech ends and violence begins”
When the smoke cleared, approximately 1,500 Berkley students, self-named Antifa “activists” (short for Anti-Fascists – yes, more irony) and “Black Bloc” anarchists were blamed for more than $100,000 in damage done to the school and community – all because they didn’t want someone with differing opinions to have a platform on their turf. Continue Reading
CBS San Francisco, “Woman Punched During Berkeley Protest Describes Melee”
Rosealma traveled to Berkeley with her boyfriend and two other friends – all members of the Antifa anti-facist collective — from Southern California on Saturday to take part in a counter demonstration at a Patriot’s Day event organized by alt right and neo-nazi groups including the Proud Boys. Continue Reading
SF Gate, “Arrests made as protesters clash at pro-Trump rally in Berkeley”
Trump protesters and anarchists waving red-and-black flags, marched around the park, periodically stopping to clash with the Trump supporters. Continue Reading
Triad City Beat, “Militant leftists and far-right militias claim same ground in Berkeley. What could go wrong?”
The left has also drawn lessons from the March 4 rally. An anonymous post reviewing the confrontation on the It’s Going Down website — described as “a media platform for revolutionary anarchist, anti-fascist, and autonomous anti-capitalist and anti-colonial movements” — concludes, “By showing up and taking space, we created an unwelcoming environment for the enemy. But […]
San Francisco Chronicle, “In Berkeley, blossoms bloom on the impeachment tree”
The graffiti had been painted over by the opening, but “as a former Yippie with strong anarchist sympathies, it broke my heart to think that I and the huge outpouring of rebel art from my ultra-anarchic cohort had now become an enemy.” Continue Reading