Ann Coulter blasts 'radical thuggish' Berkeley after her speech is canceled again; Update: YAF responds; Update: ACLU weighs in

Last week, UC Berkeley canceled a planned April 27 speech by Ann Coulter, supposedly because they were “unable to find a safe and suitable venue.” Coulter vowed to speak there anyway, and Berkeley subsequently reversed its decision after discovering a “protected venue,” though they rescheduled the speech for May 2. Coulter responded to that by saying that she would still be there to speak on April 27, but it looks like that’s no longer going to happen:

FASCISTS WIN: Coulter Cancels Event After Berkeley Refuses To Stop Anti-Conservative Violence https://t.co/t7hUnuVu7U pic.twitter.com/MPbvzB8Iui

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) April 26, 2017

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First, the university cancelled the event – refusing to abide by Coulter’s request that they inform the police to act against violent protesters against her. Then, after a firestorm, Berkeley proposed that Coulter speak a week later, when school was out of session. When Coulter refused and said she would show up anyway at the time and date scheduled, the university said it would not provide a forum; Coulter originally responded by saying she would speak in the plaza, but she finally cancelled the event because of threat of violence. Young Americans Foundation said they could not “jeopardize the safety of its staff or students” by participating in the event. Berkeley College Republicans also backed out.

The university’s chancellor, Nicholas Dirks, put out a statement, explaining, “This University has two non-negotiable commitments, one to Free Speech, the other to the safety of our campus community members, their guests, and the public. In that context, we cannot ignore or deny what is a new reality. Groups and individuals from the extreme ends of the political spectrum have made clear their readiness and intention to utilize violent tactics in support or in protest of certain speakers at UC Berkeley…We cannot wish away or pretend that these threats do not exist.

The university said that it would be impossible for the police department to “simply step in and stop violent confrontations,” adding “This is a University, not a battlefield.” The university said it would not “allow our students, other members of the campus community, and the public to be needlessly endangered by permitting an event to be held in a venue that our police force does not believe to be protectable.”