WTH is Happening @ #Berkeley Right Now?!
Much of the world's attention right now is on Berkeley, as conservative speaker Ben Shapiro is scheduled to speak at this mostly liberal college.
Shapiro is a conservative that pretty much tows the line on many issues, but is well known for his anti-Trump views. I may not personally agree with him on some things, but I support free speech- even for humans I disagree with.
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People were showing up before the scheduled event, and verbal debates began early. There was a large sign put in front of the campus, saying: “This is not an issue for free speech, this is an issue about fascism.”
The Bank of America building was preemptively barricaded with doors boarded up and ATMs locked away. Police shut down roads all around the UC Berkeley campus and we've already seen the bomb squad SWAT units.
They have apparently prepared for the worst. Stores have either closed down or put out a message of solidarity with the protesters.
There's was a very controversial decision made by the Berkeley City Council, that will enable police officers to use pepper spray. The police claim that they will be unmasking anyone seen wearing a mask near the campus. The police also say that anyone carrying a weapon will be arrested on the spot. They also announced that they're shutting down the campus at 4 o'clock PM. There will be mandatory security checkpoints, checking the identification of anyone entering the area.
Many students are of course unsatisfied with this and classes are being canceled. Many see this as an in-your-face police state. As we have witnessed many times at previous events at Berkeley, and similar venues, police officers often abandon the area when Antifa protesters arrive. They retreat from the situation. We have previously documented this first hand at Berkeley and other similar events. It will be very interesting to see what transpires here today.
Is this an overreaction? Will there even be a major demonstration? I'm very interested in hearing what you guys think of all this.
I'll be sharing more live updates as this situation unfolds.. showing you more of what I see here happening on this battleground for free speech. We're funded by, and are reporting for you caring individuals! Thank you for reading this & I love you guys!
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As a college student, I think it is absolutely ridiculous at the crying of those who want to stop someone from speaking. Regardless of what the speakers will say, or how many people follow them. Do they not understand that doing things like this does not help their cause. It further divides people.
I love having intellectual conversations with people and I have a lot of older friends, 40+, that are Republicans. When they see the protestors fighting AGAINST free speech, it further ingrains in their head that their narrative is the correct one. Because the other side is full of hypocritical people that only care about their opinion.... It strengthens the support of the right.... Just as Trump's ridiculousness strengthens the anti-trump movement....
I think those on the left, especially my fellow mellenials, need to wake up and realize they do nothing but hurt the movement when they cry about stuff that doesn't matter.... Let people speak and respond with logical responses....
Don't further the divide...... Don't get lost in your narrative.....
Your heart is in the right place, but you're a bit misguided and nieve on how powerful speech, can be. As counter-intuitive as that sounds, we only need to look at history to see examples of how positive and negative speech has been able to influence millions. For example, Gandhi & MLK both had hugely positive effects on the masses. So much so they were labeled as threats to the country. The FBI went so far as to create an agenda against MLK which eventually lead to his assignation.
Another example is the Rwanda genocide of 1994. The history of the Hutu and Tutsis goes back long ways, but a critical part of the event was how fast people across the country turned on their life-long neighbors and began slaughtering them by the hundreds of thousands. This was only possible because of the hate-speech from the Nationalist Hutus building up to that moment and spread through the radio calling for the murder of all Tutsis. There's a lot of similarities to that event and what we see now around the world with white nationalist. One only needs to look at any conservative media, and you will see hundreds or thousands of people rallying around calls to kill all liberals, anarchist, Blacks, Mexicans. Jews, LGBT, etc.
I don't put Shapiro into the category of hate-speech, he a little more level headed and scientific about how he approaches what he thinks. Nor do I agree with the methods being used by the counter-protestors of late but there is a powerful statement in their willingness to stand up and push back when threatened, beaten, and killed. And yes, that's what has been going on from the far right. Who, have thus far carried out more terrorist attacks than Muslim extremist and liberal extremist combined. So, it's not unexpected to see the violence from the counter-protest. Is it right? Well seeing live streams from Luke have proven that the violence, is as Trump has said, "on both sides."
Should they try and shut down his speech? No. I agree with you that it gives validity and power to his position. Should they remain quiet and pretend what is happening all around them "doesn't matter?" No, because the reality is, people are influenced into committing acts of violence from the rhetoric. Standing up to it shows strength, builds a community of like-minded persons and gives them experience in those violent situations that very well may escalate as shown all throughout history.
http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/NOTE1.HTM
What's interesting to see is how people are reacting to the counter-protestors calling them anti-free speech while condoning the anti-free speech actions of the city council and police.
I wasn't trying to understate how important speech is. But the way they are responding to the talks is not effective and it is counter productive.
Is there a better way to fight the speech than with well thought out logical responses? And not logical in the sense of their narrative. Logical in a way that makes sense to the rights narrative.
I hear ya. Unfortunately this has been a long time coming. It's by plan and the rest is up to people to be more reasonable as you have said. But media is a powerful tool capable of moving millions in whatever direction they want. We've had a lot of practice destabilizing countries around the world, now it's our turn unless we call talk sense into both sides we may we'll be dragged into another civil war. Just the excuse they need to military take over like they tried in the 30's.
President Trump isn't always ridiculous. President Trump’s First 100 Days in Office: Major Accomplishments
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Intelectual Thuggery?!? Your ideas are oppressing me?
These guys are better than the National Enquirer and should get into publishing.
Luke & my little brother are twins! WHEEL15OFF
@lukewearechange, good luck guys and take care!
All this is to protect civil society from the students of Berkley. Wow!!
I support Free Think`n & Free Speak´n!
@lukewearechange Very well performed for sticking at it! It is just a new strategy for lifetime therefore you are modern-day pioneers. Adore it. Upvoted.
If the reaction to use violence to prevent speech, then the school system at all levels has failed.