04/27/17
BERKELEY, CA — The UC campus is known for being ground zero for the free speech movement of the 1960s.
Recently there have been clashes between Trump supporters and Antifa, with the former group saying they are now continuing the fight for free speech.
Trump supporters have received support from a variety of sympathetic groups, many of whom didn’t vote for Trump but believe that free speech is worth defending.
Bernie Sanders, one of Trump’s most vocal critics, said he “doesn’t like” seeing violence being used to suppress the free speech of conservatives.
Conservative writer Ann Coulter was scheduled to give a talk today but the event was canceled after the university told her it posed safety concerns.
The safety concerns are due to the threat from groups like Antifa and BAMN (By Any Means Necessary).
These groups unabashedly advocate physically attacking people who are Nazis or fascists.
But conservatives say they say are neither Nazis nor fascists, and that the leftist groups are misapplying those labels to them and subjecting them to unjustified violence.
The groups that are in Berkeley now include veterans, libertarians, and a mix of nationalists and alt-right. Even progressive liberals have joined, saying Antifa does not represent them and they are willing to defend the free speech of those with whom they disagree.
Many of the free speech advocates came prepared to defend themselves if physical confrontation occurred. They can be seen in the video footage wearing helmets and bullet proof vests. In their view, the Berkeley police did not adequately prevent violent attacks against them the last time they showed up, and so they are prepared to do it themselves if necessary.
Antifa members, who describe themselves as anarcho-communists, say that free speech does not include the right to say hateful things that harm others, and that people who support Trump are contributing to fascism whether they realize it or not. They say that fascism should not be given a platform, and if necessary should be violently opposed before it takes root.
So far, Antifa has not showed up to stop today’s rally, although that is expected to change as the event continues in the evening.
We will update this article if anything happens.
What do you think? Should Trump supporters have the right to express their views at a state university, or do you agree with Antifa that they are fascists who must be stopped by any means necessary?
Watch the videos below to see what the rally is like so far:
Source Article from http://filmingcops.com/trump-supporters-return-berkeley-vow-defend-free-speech/
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