Coulter on Berkeley Speech: ‘They Were Hoping I Would Cancel’

Cal student Paul Monge Rodriguez said he deliberately avoided Sproul Plaza and said “the university is being used like a combat theater between more militant groups that aren’t necessarily students”.

Coulter is known as a firebrand right-winger who has accrued a national following.

Gavin McInnes, co-founder of Vice Media and founder of the pro-Trump “Proud Boys”, was one of several speakers at the gathering. “I didn’t have any sponsors, I didn’t have Berkeley”.

Police erected barricades and dispatched officers in riot gear on motorcycles as far-right supporters rallied Thursday to denounce what they called an attempt to silence their views after Ann Coulter said she was forced to cancel a speaking event at the University of California, Berkeley.

This is the statement released by BridgeUSA at Berkeley, the group worked with the Berkeley College Republicans to organize Ann Coulter’s appearance on campus. Give us the background.

Campus spokesman Dan Mogulof said UC Berkeley officials had not heard directly from Coulter on Wednesday. Significant violence never ultimately erupted, and some attendees expressed regret that Coulter never appeared.

Carlson asked Coulter if she was going to call for war or violence and she said no. And she placed the blame not only on the university but also on the student groups that originally invited her. Further, Berkeley’s new mayor has sided with groups like Antifa, which she nicknamed “anti-First Amendment”. Troy Worden is president of the Campus Republicans, and he said they had no choice but to cancel the event. And if you can’t keep silent about Coulter, the next-best thing would be to point out just how tiresome her act is. Students should not and can not be allowed to take over a campus and hijack the robust exchange of ideas-even if they think they have the best intentions and are promoting a virtuous, progressive agenda. These sentiments are nasty, and it’s a shame we haven’t addressed them with both culture change and public policy, but they’re also profoundly boring.

Berkeley, birthplace of the US free speech movement in the 1960s, has emerged as a flashpoint for the extreme left and right amid debate over free speech.

So far, there’s no sign of opponents, or so-called anti-fascists who have violently clashed with the far-right demonstrators previously in Berkeley. And critics say that Berkeley isn’t living up to its ideals. There were no Molotov cocktails or bricks through windows, as was the case in February when Milo Yiannopoulos attempted a speech at Berkeley. But he said even if she cancels, some groups that support or oppose her could still turn out on campus. Coulter announced via her Twitter account on Wednesday that she would not be speaking at the school, sparking a controversy over the university’s stance on free speech.

Naweed Tahmas, a junior who is a member of the Berkeley College Republicans, said the campus was blockaded Thursday afternoon and that he could see police officers on every corner, with helicopters hovering overhead.

Coulter’s speech last week citing security concerns and the possibility of violence, but quickly reversed course after a backlash ensued.

CORNISH: In the meantime, what are we anticipating in terms of who will come out today?

Earlier, police mobilized on motorbikes, in armored trucks and on foot for possible violence at the rallies over Coulter’s canceled appearance at the University of California campus in the city. Students and faculty who had clearly violated own Berkeley’s code of conduct, if not civil law, went unpunished, sending another powerful message that only emboldens protestors to repeat their behavior the next time. They said they weren’t showing up armed but were prepared for violence with knee pads and soapy water to wash away tear gas and pepper spray.