UC Berkeley Cancels Ann Coulter Speech Over Safety Fears

[nevrgiveup]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/us/berkeley-ann-coulter-speech-canceled.html

[simba9]

It’s back on.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/UC-Berkeley-changes-plans-invites-Ann-Coulter-to-11087363.php

[ucbalumnus]

Perhaps the arrests of several people suspected of instigating violence at a recent violent riot between right and left wing groups in the city of Berkeley may mean that some of the potential instigators of violence are no longer in circulation to incite a riot at this event.

Unfortunately, it only takes a few instigators to incite a riot by causing confusion among a peaceful protest crowd.

[simba9]

Cal was taking a lot of heat for caving so easily to those threatening violence, not only among the political right across the country, but among a lot of people here in the Bay Area. I can’t stand Coulter, but I think even less of those who won’t allow her, or anyone they disagree with, to speak.

[Alexandre]

simba, Coulter does not speak, she insults. She should not be given a platform. The right to free speech is advanced citizenship and implies civility and rational thought. Coulter is incapable of civil discourse. That being said, should she be granted the opportunity to rant, it would be great to see her do so in front of an empty room.

[rjkofnovi]

Coulter is annoying, but so are many far left liberal speakers who are welcomed all over colleges in America. Universities need to allow a wide variety of views to be heard.

[Alexandre]

Perhaps I was unclear rjkofnovi, I think anybody who is as condescending and uncouth as Coulter should be denied access to venues that would serve as a platform, and that includes liberals as well as conservatives.

[SouthernHope]

Here’s the thing about Coulter…her job (so to speak) is to incite strong reactions/anger via her words. It’s how she gets notice. So I have sympathy for Berkeley. They know her goal is to cause trouble. And they know there are citizens around the University who are happy to take the bait. Two difficult crowds…put together on one campus (and likely 95% of the students don’t care whatsoever but they’re caught in it).

[tonymom]

She’s just trying endlessly to extend her pathetic 15 minutes of fame. She’s pretty disgusting but I agree the best scenario would be for her to show up to her speaking engagement to an empty room. Nobody is buying your crap lady! Move along.

[Gigem86]

I find Lena Dunham condescending and uncouth - i’m sure Berkeley would welcome her with open arms. The hypocrisy is astounding.

[Scipio]

UC Berkeley would not hesitate to cancel a speech by Lena Dunham or anybody else if there is a good possibility of violence breaking out. The school takes its commitment to free speech for both the right and the left very seriously, but it cannot endanger students and risk damage to the campus by allowing events that they know will induce rioting. No college would.

The sad part is that the recent fights and riots in Berkeley involve very few if any UC Berkeley students. Both sides of the recent pro-Trump/anti-Trump riots were mostly from out of town. The anti-Trump crowd was a bunch of the Black Bloc anarchists that have been making trouble all over the Bay Area and up and down the west coast. The pro-Trump faction consosted of people shipped in from as far away as Missouri. The main guy who was seen punching out a young woman is a well-know white supremacist and part of a group that came in to town from Cal State Stanislaus. Observers said that pretty much the only Berkeley residents involved in those riots were the cops struggling to keep the peace…

[simba9]

Now SF Bay Area news organizations are saying that Coulter is refusing to accept Cal’s latest invitation.

Both sides are looking for a fight.

[Zinhead]

The sad part is that the recent fights and riots in Berkeley involve very few if any UC Berkeley students.

After the riots earlier in the year, a number of UCB students self-identified as being part of the “Black Bloc”, and one of the people positively identified as a rioter was a UCB employee. This story that UCB students are not part of the rioters is fiction.

[simba9]

@Zinhead, the comment said, “very few”, not “none.” I also believe that very few Berkeley students were part of the Black Bloc crowd. UC Berkeley is one of those rare schools where the surrounding community is more liberal than the school itself.

The Black Bloc people show up all over the Bay Area to cause trouble, and most local residents despise them.

[moscott]

@Alexandre

1. With respect it isn't and shouldn't be your decision who does and does not get a platform.
2. She was invited by a College Republican group who would be there and want to hear her speech.
3. Most importantly I would advise you to familiarize yourself with Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15 (1971) in regards to free speech.

[tonymom]

maybe she and Bill O’Reily can create a support group for wronged, wind bags since the world is out to get them.

[Penn95]

This whole nonsense besmirches Berkeley’s reputation. As a top university it should be committed to intellectual rigor, diversity of thought and freedom of speech and ideas.

[csdad2]

The problems with Coulter go well beyond being condescending and uncouth; she’s a liar, a homophobe, a racist, an anti-semite, and a bigot (just to start with).

And let’s not have this false equivalency BS that the right tries to push; there are many more objectionable extremists on the right, they are more extreme, and they are more accepted by the mainstream right.

Yes, the hypocrisy is astounding – but it comes far greater from the right.

BTW, this thread really doesn’t belong in the College Search & Selection forum.

[Zinhead]

@simba9 -

I also believe that very few Berkeley students were part of the Black Bloc crowd. UC Berkeley is one of those rare schools where the surrounding community is more liberal than the school itself.

A Berkeley student who was one of the rioters disagrees with you:

http://www.dailycal.org/2017/02/07/black-bloc-campus/

But don’t get it twisted. We were not, as the news, the chancellor and concerned progressives have alleged, “unaffiliated white anarchists.” Behind those bandanas and black T-shirts were the faces of your fellow UC Berkeley and Berkeley City College students, of women, of people of color, of queer and trans people.

and this former Berkeley student disagrees with you:

https://itsgoingdown.org/berkeley-behind-bandana/

In the glare of the fire and in the throngs of protestors I see a friend and former professor of mine I haven’t seen in a while. I jump from the ledge I’m standing on and run up to him, excited to say hi. He turns around and quickly recoils, looking terrified.

For a split second, I’m confused. Then I remember and pull the black bandana down off the bridge of my nose.

His grimace stretches into a smile and we embrace, sharing the joy of the moment we just created together. I, dressed in black and with my face covered up and he, with his sign and his friends surrounding him, are ecstatic…

And this current Berkeley student disagrees with you:

https://itsgoingdown.org/beating-milo-how-berkeley-defeated-alt-rights-biggest-****/

All of the statements from the officials above couldn’t be any further from the truth. Of course there were students engaging in militant and combative tactics that night. Some of those students were dressed in black, but a lot of them weren’t. Of course one can be an anarchist and a student at UC Berkeley at the same time, regardless of what clothing you’re wearing at any given moment. As far as Robert Reich never having seen these people before? He’s an idiot and he’s full of ****. I myself have taken his class.

This riots this weekend are 100 percent the fault of city and university. If they had arrested people and expelled students like they should have done back in February during the Milo event, there would have been no marches to protest this past weekend. By not enforcing the law or expelling students, the city and university are allowing this violence to escalate.

[marvin100]

Coulter has nothing of substance to say about anything. I’m shocked anyone would want to invite her to speak about any subject, and I can’t imagine any thinking person would attend her talk in hopes of learning anything of value.

(btw “Black Bloc” is a strategy, not a group)