Violent riots broke out Wednesday night at the University of California, Berkeley. The university’s chapter of College Republicans invited the provocative Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos to speak on campus.
In response, 1,500 “protesters” gathered to shut down the event including members of an anarchist group known as the “Black Bloc.” Rioters in black threw commercial-grade fireworks and rocks at police. Molotov cocktails ignited fires. The windows of the student union center were smashed. And at least six people were injured, according to CNN.
Scenes from the riot (this was a riot, not a protest, stop calling it a protest) were captured in picture and video and shared on social media.
Protestors hurling fences and fireworks at the building itself. Glass breaking. #Milo pic.twitter.com/OhWLRGxL6w
— Michael Bodley (@michael_bodley) February 2, 2017
Masked protestors just shot off fireworks and are tearing down fences at Berkeley. Milo inside. pic.twitter.com/3SRNLjuTVn
— Michael Bodley (@michael_bodley) February 2, 2017
A group of antifa are shooting fireworks at the building where Milo is set to speak at Berkeley pic.twitter.com/7Mtcer9ejO
— Julia Carrie Wong (@juliacarriew) February 2, 2017
Wow, being an "antifascist" sure looks a lot like being a fascist. https://t.co/brXSjMh6ZS
— Robert Tracinski (@Tracinski) February 2, 2017
The rioters were chanting “shut it down” as they broke through barricades set up for people’s safety.
As I've repeatedly said, the modern far-left embraces violences. It's all they have left. https://t.co/fEx9ezRolJ
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) February 2, 2017
Ian Miles Cheong, a journalist for Heat Steet, catalogued events as they unfolded.
This is UC Berkeley. pic.twitter.com/b2Q7aSwmLi
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 2, 2017
Chants of "Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!" as UC Berkeley administration and police are advising rioters to leave. No one's leaving.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 2, 2017
Chants of "Are we gonna leave?" "No!" Police have ordered rioters to disperse and threatened to quell them with arrests and use of force.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 2, 2017
I have no idea what this even accomplishes. pic.twitter.com/d9nbvpfGnI
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 2, 2017
And then violence.
Fights have broken out. a mass fight between alt-right and Antifa as punches are being thrown all over.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 2, 2017
Chants of "Mexico!" "Fuck you Nazi scum!" and "I'll kill you!" as man is pummeled on the ground by rioters. pic.twitter.com/G2CqvfhOpP
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 2, 2017
And the aftermath.
Protesters force UC Berkeley to cancel far-right speaker's speech: https://t.co/B5MkS2DCob pic.twitter.com/0qdI5NQBe3
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) February 2, 2017
The university administration released a statement condemning the violence in “the strongest possible terms,” regretting the “unlawful actions of a few.” No arrests were made throughout the night.
The Berkeley College Republicans released a statement blasting the rioters.
STATEMENT from Berkeley College Republicans. "The Free Speech Movement is dead." pic.twitter.com/jNXzPrBr6u
— Michael Bodley (@michael_bodley) February 2, 2017
“It is tragic that the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement is also its final resting place.” The death of free speech. Violence. According to the rioters, “this is what community looks like.”
Protests against Milo at UC Berkeley. Protesters chanting "This is what community looks like." pic.twitter.com/a0YIZ3epIc
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) February 2, 2017
Community cannot look like this. You cannot have community with people who do not respect the right to free speech. You cannot live with those who set fire to property. These are crimes because they upset the fabric of civil society.
President Trump seems to understand this. He threatened to revoke federal funding for UC Berkeley in response to the behavior exhibited by some of its students.
If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view - NO FEDERAL FUNDS?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2017
Of course some people didn’t like that, not one bit.
@realDonaldTrump here we go. First you call journalists fake news. Now you'll go after universities. This is how civilisation ends.
— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) February 2, 2017
No. That is exactly wrong. Civilization ends when people become so intolerant and evil that they smash windows, light things on fire, and brutally beat people they disagree with because a man who says mean things was invited to speak at a college campus in a country where the right to speak freely is supposed to be protected by the government.
And where is the outrage from the Left? Does Senator Kamala Harris, D-Calif. have anything to say about the violence in her state? Would Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. (F, 0%) care to offer a condemnation of the fire-starters? Of the crowds that beat people?
Liberals freak out when Republicans change Senate rules to get their way but shrug when their buddies use violence to get their way
— Amber Athey (@amber_athey) February 2, 2017
All the handwringing over the “fascist” President Donald Trump, yet not one member of Trump’s government has started a fire. Not one person has been beaten for having a dissenting political opinion. Not one leftist critic of the Trump administration has been silenced or put into political prison.
Do you think for one second that would be true if the left-wing thugs who rioted last night were given power?
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