After a violent, rampaging mob shut down a scheduled speaking event featuring Breitbart editor and conservative firebrand Milo Yiannopoulos at UC Berkeley last night, many are wondering why the police didn’t do more to help. Agitators hurled fireworks and smoke bombs, smashed windows, set fires, destroyed property, and assaulted at least four Trump supporters during the hours-long riot. If the riot police had been doing their jobs, their paddy wagons would have been overflowing with rioters. Instead, it appears only one person was arrested.
The goal of the communist and anarchist agitators was to prevent Yiannopoulos from speaking at the free speech event—and they succeeded.
It was straight-up domestic terrorism, and for some reason the city of Berkeley allowed it to happen:
My friend was giving an interview when some coward peppersprayed her #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/CDpEqDsw2A
— janey (@janeygak) February 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/MisterMetokur/status/826991184635654145
https://twitter.com/The_Trump_Train/status/827228314649649154
WOAH. Protestors blocked car in Berkeley. Driver ran them over. Sped off. #Milo pic.twitter.com/GeVVphFxjd
— Michael Bodley (@michael_bodley) February 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/sahilchinoy/status/827005465615810560
Young girl doing nothing, has head smashed with a pole then she's tear gassed by #antifa hello @ucdp_cal @UCBerkeley #UCBerkeley #MiloAtCal pic.twitter.com/VSFW5A6fDO
— Rosie memos (@almostjingo) February 2, 2017
Here, you can see police in the background, just standing there, watching:
Tonight's Riot At UC Berkeley Is Another Sign That The Left Is In Full Meltdown Mode. #MiloAtCal #MiloYiannopoulos pic.twitter.com/JOLZoyQA8K
— BlackAwakening (@BlackAwakening2) February 2, 2017
One person was chased down the street and beaten unconscious by agitators screaming, “Beat his ass!”
Was the assailant arrested? Probably not. Dozens of police were present and only one person reportedly got arrested.
.@JonahNRO: "One arrest? There should've been paddy-wagons full of these people." #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/J00PVhFCsK
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 2, 2017
Out of more than 1,500 protesters only a “small minority” caused trouble, according to Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin. But if it was just a small number of troublemakers creating problems, the riot police should have been able to handle it. Instead, there was rampant anarchy in the streets.
Dan Mogulof, a UC Berkeley spokesman, said campus officials went to “extraordinary lengths” over weeks of planning to help the Berkeley College Republicans prepare for the event.
Dozens of police officers were brought in from nine of the University of California’s 10 campuses to assist, he said. But it was not enough to prevent what Mogulof said was an “unprecedented” assault on campus.
Arreguin set the tone for the night early on:
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
As the night wore on, the good mayor changed his tone.
Violence and destruction is not the answer
— Jesse Arreguin (@JesseArreguin) February 2, 2017
That was Arreguin’s last tweet of the night. By morning, he was in damage-control mode.
If anyone has information on assaults and crimes from last night, contact BPD at 510-981-5900 or @UCPD_Cal at 510-664-8477. (1/5)
— Jesse Arreguin (@JesseArreguin) February 2, 2017
Let me be perfectly clear, I am appalled by the violence. The safety of all community members is my biggest priority. (2/5)
— Jesse Arreguin (@JesseArreguin) February 2, 2017
I abhor violence. The rioters who descended on Berkeley do not represent my values or Berkeley values. (3/5)
— Jesse Arreguin (@JesseArreguin) February 2, 2017
He said the weak response from the police was the department’s strategy and commended them for doing an “excellent job.”
Police strategy was ordered by the department, not me. They did an excellent job in preventing further risk to safety. (4/5)
— Jesse Arreguin (@JesseArreguin) February 2, 2017
Here is the mayor’s official statement on Wednesday night’s events:
Revised statement to reflect updated information. pic.twitter.com/w9iykrWveB
— Jesse Arreguin (@JesseArreguin) February 2, 2017
PJ Media reached out to the UC Berkeley Police Department for comment but had not received a response at the time this article was published.
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