The San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday evening that Berkeley, Calif., Mayor Jesse Arreguin had urged UC Berkeley to cancel plans for a free speech week in September “in the aftermath of a right-wing rally Sunday that ended with anarchists chasing attendees from a downtown park.”
#Berkeley mayor calls for #Cal to cancel conservatives’ ‘Free Speech Week’. https://t.co/pg2ZMdgJoI via @sfchronicle
— Matier and Ross (@matierandross) August 28, 2017
Anyone who followed Arreguin’s social media posts in February, though, when agitators vandalized both the UC Berkeley campus and the nearby city over a scheduled Milo Yiannopolous speech, however, will know the mayor isn’t a free speech die-hard by any stretch. First, he called Yiannopoulos’ speech (which was canceled) “unacceptable” …
Using speech to silence marginalized communities and promote bigotry is unacceptable. Hate speech isn't welcome in our community.
— Jesse Arreguin (@JesseArreguin) February 2, 2017
Then, after videos of a burning UC Berkeley campus began to catch the attention of the nation, Arreguin tweeted this:
Violence and destruction is not the answer
— Jesse Arreguin (@JesseArreguin) February 2, 2017
That would have been good information for the thugs to have had before started chucking barricades through campus windows and smashing ATMs with baseball bats. But even months later, Arreguin is sticking to his … whatever progressives substitute for guns.
“I don’t want Berkeley being used as a punching bag,” he said, although he apparently didn’t offer to resign to help prevent that outcome. Rather, the school should back off of plans to let conservatives speak, “because it’s just a target for black bloc to come out and commit mayhem on the Berkeley campus.”
Um, do you have police in Berkeley?
Shameful. https://t.co/SdpX3GxIbM
— M. (@mmolaro) August 29, 2017
An embarrassment https://t.co/bX8Rn9JJXM
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) August 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/BackFromThat/status/902331637236563968
Mayor Arreguin is an absolute disgrace. https://t.co/IE2EFhGcK6
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) August 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/politicalelle/status/902328246691217408
It's literally his job to ensure his citizens can exercise their rights free of violence and intimidation. He's standing down. Amazing. https://t.co/h4diRrVDcw
— JGJr. (@Gavinessence) August 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/vncnt_csmr/status/902328677647736832
So, free speech only applies to those on the left now in Berkeley. Stepping on the Cal campus must dim your intelligence. https://t.co/LMPeWgWE7f
— Todd Hutson (@cthvolfan) August 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/theman_guy/status/902330182882791425
There would be no problem if you didn't order police to stand down, Mr. Mayor. Time to stop the violence of the lefties you embrace. https://t.co/jllVMADh1f
— Mary T (@snmtraders) August 29, 2017
Please do secede. Seriously. https://t.co/OyaYBjJ2F3
— Beau Franklin (@BeauBFranklin) August 29, 2017
* * *
Related:
Antifa mob in Berkeley — shockingly — turns violent; Where are the cops?! [Videos] https://t.co/aArT2CEz0Z
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 28, 2017
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