Ben Toverdam of Incels For Trump: "The hardest part of being an Incel is the 'involuntary' part..."
Yesterday's rally cannot be seen except as an abject failure on the part of the alt-right.
Hardly anyone from their side showed up. There were far outnumbered by cops and the many anti-racist and anti-fascist protesters - a few dozen alt-right fascists facing hundreds of leftists and hundreds of cops. (There were about twenty arrests, mostly Leftists; many for wearing masks or having banned weapons.)
Most troubling, when the alt-right talked of "child sacrifice" by the Left at the rally, they weren't talking about the countless sacrifices liberals make for their children... they were talking about making sacrifices OF children, as in human sacrifice.
Human sacrifice? Really?
All sane people must come together now to declare Q, Pizzagate, and the Seth Rich conspiracy (the spiritual children of racist Birtherism) for what they are: Complete and utter b.s.!
This raises a really good question: Why are so many of the alt-right's sacred cows built on absolute untruths? From InfoWars' denial of the Sandy Hook murders to Birtherism to Seth Rich to Pizzagate, and now Q... demonstrably false information being put forward and entire philosophies based on nonsense.
For some reason, the alt-right is obsessed with Berkeley.
Well, there are a lot of reasons. Berkeley is the home of the Free Speech Movement, the "Athens of the West", home to some of the most liberal and radical students, academics, and local politicians in the country... ... but the alt-right's obsession still seems a bit misplaced and over the top.
There have been several alt-right rallies in Berkeley over the past year or so.
There was Milo Yiannopoulos' speech on campus being cancelled after a riot, and the March 4 Trump rally, amongst others.
Then came August 5, 2018.
Among the whackos at the event in Berkeley, August 5, 2018, Alex Jones' right-hand man:
CO-DEFENDANT IN LAWSUIT BY SANDY HOOK PARENTS
FILMING At BERKELEY event with three bodyguards
"Shroyer’s report was manifestly false.
In addition, a minimal amount of research would have caused
any competent journalist not to publish the defamatory accusation..."
Owen was there, trolling, trying to "create content" (i.e. provoking physical and verbal scuffles with political opponents) for InfoWars and Alex Jones, that professional troll and seller of snake oil (and phony vitamin supplements), now banned on most social media platforms for hate speech and false information... most notably on Sandy Hook and Pizzagate (one of the few things Jones has EVER apologized for...).
Jake Lloyd and others from the B-team of the thoroughly disgraced InfoWars crew also appeared, trying to create content for their various enterprises.
Owen, take a look at the photos of the Sandy Hook kids below and if you don't feel deeply ashamed for all the pain you've caused families who had already suffered so much, there is something terribly wrong with you...
"...When you’re Alex Jones’ right hand man, it’s only a matter of time until you get named in a lawsuit.. Owen Shroyer of Infowars was named in the one levied by Sandy Hook victims’ families this week. Like Jones, Shroyer peddled Sandy Hook conspiracy theories on Infowars airwaves, citing glitchy video as evidence of crisis actors..."
Neil Heslin lost his son Jesse Lewis, six, in the Sandy Hook shooting. Mr Heslin is suing Mr Jones and Infowars host Owen Shroyer.
In 2017, Megyn Kelly interviewed some of the victims of Sandy Hook conspiracy theorists, as part of a story on Mr Jones. Mr. Heslin spoke about his experience of the shooting’s aftermath: “I lost my son. I buried my son. I held my son with a bullet hole through his head,” he said.
Mr Shroyer responded to Heslin in a video a few days later by claiming it was “not possible” for Mr Heslin to have held his son. According to the complaint, Mr Shroyer’s claim was based on incomplete information about how the medical examiner’s office processed and identified the bodies of the victims after the shooting.
Mr Jones re-aired Mr Shroyer’s disproven accusation days later, saying, “quite frankly, the father needs to clarify, NBC needs to clarify”. In that same segment, Mr Jones said “you can’t blame people for asking” whether Sandy Hook was a hoax or not.
From the lawsuit:
On June 26, 2017, InfoWars’ broadcast featured a segment hosted by reporter Owen Shroyer in which Shroyer claimed to have reviewed evidence showing it was impossible for Plaintiff to have held his son and see his injury.
14. During the broadcast, Shroyer said, “The statement [Plaintiff] made, fact-checkers on this have said cannot be accurate. He’s claiming that he held his son and saw the bullet hole in his head. That is his claim. Now, according to a timeline of events and a coroner’s testimony, that is not possible.”3
14. During the broadcast, Shroyer said, “The statement [Plaintiff] made, fact-checkers on this have said cannot be accurate. He’s claiming that he held his son and saw the bullet hole in his head. That is his claim. Now, according to a timeline of events and a coroner’s testimony, that is not possible.”3
15. As support for these defamatory statements, Shroyer played video footage where the local medical examiner informed reporters that the slain students were initially identified using photographs rather than in person.
16. Shroyer also stated, “You would remember if you held your dead kid in your hands with a bullet hole. That’s not something you would just misspeak on.”4
17. Stroyer continued by stating that Plaintiff was “making a pretty extreme claim that would be a very thing vivid in your memory, holding his dead child.”5
18. “The conspiracy theorists on the internet out there have a lot of questions are that are yet to be answered. You say whatever you want about the event, that’s just a fact.”6
19. At the conclusion of his report, Shroyer stated, “Will there be a clarification from Heslin or Megyn Kelly? I wouldn’t hold your breath. [Laugh]. So now they’re fueling the conspiracy theory claims. Unbelievable.”7
NEIL HESLIN, § Plaintiff § § VS. § § ALEX E. JONES, INFOWARS, LLC, § FREE SPEECH SYSTEMS, LLC, and § OWEN SHROYER, § Defendants
By the way, I will note that the incident Alex and Owen are being sued for took place in 2017.... nearly 5 years after the shooting... I could see someone "jumping the gun" 5 minutes after the shooting, making wild claims before the facts were known - trying to "mold the narrative" by getting ahead of the story and trying to put your spin on it...
But this was not 5 minutes after the shooting, this was nearly 5 years after the shooting.
We can only conclude that by then, Alex and Owen KNEW for a fact what they were saying was entirely false, KNEW it would hurt people, but said it anyway (with no evidence whatsoever) merely for political and financial gain.
That is shameful.
Sandy Hook should be an albatross, a cement stockade, that Alex Jones and Owen Shroyer have to wear around their necks until the end of time. Every time either of them opens their mouth, people should yell, "Shame on you, Sandy Hook deniers! You hurt the grieving families of dead children!". Any sentence they speak that does not begin: "I am deeply ashamed for the pain I caused the Sandy Hook families..." should be ignored.
They are trolls, but they have to learn that words and actions have consequences, that there IS a difference between right and wrong, truth and lie... that it DOES matter...
By the way, I will note that the incident Alex and Owen are being sued for took place in 2017.... nearly 5 years after the shooting... I could see someone "jumping the gun" 5 minutes after the shooting, making wild claims before the facts were known - trying to "mold the narrative" by getting ahead of the story and trying to put your spin on it...
But this was not 5 minutes after the shooting, this was nearly 5 years after the shooting.
We can only conclude that by then, Alex and Owen KNEW for a fact what they were saying was entirely false, KNEW it would hurt people, but said it anyway (with no evidence whatsoever) merely for political and financial gain.
That is shameful.
Sandy Hook should be an albatross, a cement stockade, that Alex Jones and Owen Shroyer have to wear around their necks until the end of time. Every time either of them opens their mouth, people should yell, "Shame on you, Sandy Hook deniers! You hurt the grieving families of dead children!". Any sentence they speak that does not begin: "I am deeply ashamed for the pain I caused the Sandy Hook families..." should be ignored.
They are trolls, but they have to learn that words and actions have consequences, that there IS a difference between right and wrong, truth and lie... that it DOES matter...
It seemed like every pole in Berkeley and Oakland had this flier on it:
Yesterday's rally was meant to reunite these disparate groups from Northern California and beyond who identify as "patriotic", "pro-Trump" and "anti-Marxist" but things get a little muddy beyond those generalizations.
Trump, Bannon, Richard Spencer, and much of the alt-right are explicitly racist. Some of them support an all-white homeland and special rights for whites, while opposing special rights for other groups. Many of these racists blame Jews for the majority of the world's problems, as did a certain prominent Austrian, often couching it in attacks on George Soros. Trump's racist policies/statements include: accusing Mexicans of being rapists, seeking to build a border Wall to keep out Latinos, the constant demonization of all Latinos, immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers and racist proposals on immigration and asylum policies like the Muslim bans, implying many/most Latinos are members of gangs like MS-13, putting immigrant children in cages, and attacking Black Lives Matter and other Black activists.
One of the organizers who we saw at the other rallies too is a trans woman, Amber Cummings, who for some reason was carrying a sign calling for the jailing of Bill Ayers. I asked her what she had against Bill Ayers. She said he belonged in jail. I said he was a hero. She said I was "commie scum". So much for dialogue the alt-right claimed to be seeking.
(By the way, Amber has already announced TWO new rallies: August 25 at Facebook HQ in Menlo Park, CA. to protest Alex Jones being removed from the platform and another protest in Berkeley September 15 (supposedly to protest Leftists attacking a Marine Recruiting office on August 5 during the last Berkeley rally).
We heard that white supremacist skinhead group The Proud Boys were meant to show up in Berkeley but decided not to as pro-Trump organizers specifically said they rejected racism. Furthermore, the Proud Boys commitment to LGBTQ rights for Amber Cummings and others, is unknown but I suspect this too may have something to do with the distance we are now seeing between The Proud Boys and other alt-right groups in California.
It seems natural to attack the alt-right for being racist, bigoted, and not supporting diversity. Heightening contradictions. They defend attacks they are racist by showing they have a Black friend, a contrarian whose identity is based on being a "radical" person of color who rejects the Democratic Party and the left for "the truth" and camaraderie of the far-right. (Similarly, they use the Left's support for free speech to protect their own hate speech.)
When alt-right groups are not racist and bigoted, or pretend to not be racist and bigoted, it is better if they are understood not as racists but as fascists, and the alt-right people of color are simply fascists of color. We've seen them before. The death squad in El Salvador that conspired to kill Archbishop Romero consisted of fascists of color.
It is further complicated by the fact that not all the people at these rallies are fascists, per se. Some of them are simply misguided Trump supporters and random Conservatives who fear for the direction of this country.
Some of them, I assume, are good people.
But among them, are some of the basest knuckle-draggers and mouth breathers this side of a Pro-Wrestling event (which yesterday's rally resembled to some extent).
Despite the claims of some to be not racist or to be minorities themselves, perhaps some of them are sincere. But some of them are racist and support racist and bigoted policies.
I heard one of the main organizers using a loudspeaker attack George Soros, which I consider a racist, anti-Semitic attack, in line with Trump's dog whistles to the racist right.
This same person led a chant on a bullhorn against pedophiles and child sacrifice. (The actual chant was: "No Commies! No pedophiles! No child sacrifice!")
His name is Kim Sorgente of Redlands, California, one of the leaders of "Incels For Trump".
As you can see from this self-created meme that Kim (Michael) posted on his Facebook page, he really cares about children...
Here he is last June (wearing his favorite shirt) protesting on behalf of Steve Bannon's friend, British fascist Tommy Robinson...
(By the way, Tommy Robinson is also obsessed with exposing a secret pedophile elite. What is it with these people's obsessions with secret child sex cults? In Tommy's dystopian worldview, Muslims are "taking over" Britain, bringing crime, violence, rape, and pedophilia with them. Sounds remarkably like Trump's "Build A Wall" talk of keeping out rapist Mexicans trying to "invade" America.
British fascists is a bridge too far, even for most Orange County right-wingers, but "Child Sacrifice"?
Now we are in Loony Tunes territory.
I remember in the 1980s there was an urban legend about wealthy, powerful men who had a national child sex ring going on which involved human sacrifice (part of this is reflected in the McMartin Day Care scandal and related cases where innocent people were framed for horrible crimes based on hysteria, paranoia, mental illness and political or spiritual "certainty").
The FBI investigated and found nothing.
Similarly, I was traveling in Guatemala when there was a hysteria that foreigners were stealing children's body parts for wealthy sick foreigners. I heard of two women who were nearly killed by an angry mob that mistakenly thought they were trying to steal children for body parts.
There was never any evidence suggesting there was any truth whatsoever to the rumors the mob was reacting too.
Sadly, we are here again.
It's called Q.
They believe Hillary and Bill Clinton, Obama, and many of their wealthy and powerful friends are pedophiles who enjoy child sex parties and occasionally some torture and murder.
I hasten to add that the rape, torture, abuse, and murder of children is no laughing matter.
If anyone has any acutal evidence of this actually happening, please get off the Internet right now and call 911 IMMEDIATELY to report these horrible crimes. If however, you are spreading false rumors for political and financial gain, shut the hell up!
It is strange to note that, despite their strong condemnation of the Left for crimes against children that are purely made-up, at least two of our alt-right friends at the Berkeley rally had actual, real-life serious issues regarding children: Kim said he supported putting Latin kids in cages and Owen insulted the families of the dead children from Sandy Hook.
The City of Berkeley banned the use of masks for the day and several people were arrested for appearing at the rally with covered faces, which the police took to mean they intended to commit unlawful acts and escape without exposing their identity.
Unfortunately, banning poles meant the "Empathy Tent" could not be erected (the metaphors were coming to life at an alarming rate, whacking us upside the head, and disappearing to savor the moment while sipping a latte.)
The bottom line is: while people are entitled to their own set of opinions, they are NOT entitled to their own set of facts. Facts, opinions, beliefs, feelings, fantasies, narratives (stories), are NOT equally valid ways of interpreting reality. People who believe in Q are akin to people who believe the Earth is flat. It is not.
Inciting violence to create media content.
Orwell is, as always, instructive. I'm constantly thinking of 1984 and Animal Farm to understand these times. I am offended by your fact-based assault infringe on my fantasy-based reality!
Sometimes it feels like the best thing to do is to ignore the alt-right, especially if they can't rally significant numbers, but it also feels right to be there protesting and representing a Berkeley legacy against hate, racism, and fascism. My own experiences in Berkeley in the 80s with the anti-apartheid movement and Central American solidarity were formative for me.
One had to wonder if the obsession with child abuse and violence against children was in any way an attempt to "normalize" such things, "project", and prepare us for revelations that Trump or people in his circle are also guilty of similar crimes (as seen in the Trumpian claim that "collusion" and "getting dirt on political enemies" are things that "everyone does"). Indeed, many have wondered what blackmail Putin has on Trump.
Did Trump Choke Putin's Underaged Hooker To Death? Is Putin Blackmailing Him With A Video?
But I don't want to get TOO paranoid, like our Trumpian friends...
I really liked the Q Anon theory that Robert Mueller was actually working with Trump to uncover a pedophile ring involving Democratic elites. But that's just one theory and the alt-righter (Kim) I talked to in Berkeley said he didn't believe it. He thinks Mueller is Deep State. According to him, other people theorized Mueller was working with Trump to explain why Trump hadn't fired him yet.
Several of the alt-righters in Berkeley loudly called for dialogue, and sentiments such as "we're all Americans" and the value of "being able to exercise free speech" could be heard making your way through the crowd. Several went out of their way to declare they were not racist and one of their leaders is a trans woman so presumably they are accepting of LGBTQ folk, at least in her case.
The utter strangeness of debating capitalism and Marxism with the alt-right....
At a certain point, you have to ask, "Do they actually believe this shit?" With so many references to video games, LARPing, and so on, you have to wonder how much of it is "real" to them and how much is just a "game" or a "story"...a "narrative".
Some of these alt-right folk seem to care as much/little if their Sandy Hook denials are as "real" as a D&D game or an episode of "Game of Thrones" or "The Walking Dead".
There was a bizarre moment when Leftists started chanting "No More Charlottesvilles!" and the alt-right crowd echoed the chant. It was also a powerful moment when we chanted her name, Heather Heyer, the person who died at Charlottesville. Were they sincere about rejecting racism and mourning Heather? Or was this merely more posturing and obfuscation?
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders August 1, 2018
(Editor's note: Notice she says, "the President condemns and denounces any group that would incite violence against another individual..." It appears to deliberately emphasize inciting violence against individuals... implying that attacks on groups rather than individuals are ok. In this reading, saying: "All journalists are enemies of the people and should be killed" is ok but saying: "Journalist Joe Johnson is an enemy of the people and we should kill him right now!" is not ok.)
Q Thank you, Sarah. Two quickies about last night in Tampa. First of all, does the President encourage the support of people who showed up last night in these “QAnon” and “Blacks for Trump” fringe groups?
And secondly, is the White House willing to say right now, in view of what happened with one of our TV colleagues last night, that it is wrong for his most vocal supporters to be menacing toward journalists doing their jobs in a situation like that or any situation?
MS. SANDERS: On the first part, the President condemns and denounces any group that would incite violence against another individual, and certainly doesn’t support groups that would promote that type of behavior. We’ve been clear about that a number of times since the beginning of the administration.
On the second part of your question, the President, as I just said, does not support violence against anyone and/or anything. And we’ve been very clear every single time we’ve been asked about that.
When it comes to the media, the President does think that the media holds a responsibility — we fully support a free press, but there also comes a high level of responsibility with that. The media routinely reports on classified information and government secrets that put lives in danger and risk valuable national security tools. This has happened both in our administration and in past administrations.
One of the worst cases was the reporting on the U.S. ability to listen to Osama bin Laden’s satellite phone in the late ’90s. Because of that reporting, he stopped using that phone and the country lost valuable intelligence. Unfortunately, it’s now standard to abandon commonsense ethical practices. This is a two-way street. We certainly support a free press. We certainly condemn violence against anybody. But we also ask that people act responsibly and report accurately and fairly.
Newsweek: ANTIFA NAMES AND MUGSHOTS PUBLISHED BY CALIFORNIA POLICE IN 'DISTURBING' MOVE
The Daily Cal: Anti-Marxism protest returns to Berkeley after last year’s violence, ignites tensions among demonstrators
Anti-Marxism protest returns to Berkeley after last year’s violence, ignites tensions among demonstrators
Fights, fires and explosives erupted in Downtown Berkeley on Sunday during a protest featuring nearly 700 right- and left-wing demonstrators.
The “No to Marxism in America 2” rally held at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park was full of chanted slogans and loud arguments with counterprotesters, and there was more violence outside the police-monitored park.
Counterprotesters threw homemade explosives at officers, blocking them from entering the park, but no one was seriously injured, according to Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Officer Byron White.
Protesters also demolished 21 city vehicles by slashing their tires, smashing the cars’ windows and setting one SUV on fire in the parking lot on Berkeley Way, across the street from the fire station.
“The Berkeley Police Department, supported by officers from around the region, used de-escalation strategies throughout the day: separation of rival groups, confiscating weapons and arresting those carrying weapons in prohibited areas,” read a BPD Nixle alert.
Protesters also set three dumpster fires, according to the alert.
White said police returned fire using nonlethal rounds, including rubber bullets, after the homemade explosives were thrown. By the end of the protest, police had arrested 20 individuals.
The number of anti-Marxist protesters was dwarfed by the number of counterprotesters, including some from local socialist groups. A similar rally, called the “No to Marxism in America” rally, was organized and subsequently canceled last year — that rally was also heavily populated by counterprotesters.
“Communists run abroad in this city and they are using intimidation to keep pro Americans out of Berkeley,” said the Facebook page of the event. “We must stand up to this intimidation and expose the corrupt violent communist terrorist groups in Berkeley.”
Before the scheduled noon start time, protesters were already milling around and inside the park, within the police barricade.
On another street, counterprotesters marched east on Hearst Avenue from Ohlone Park, chanting and waving banners. They eventually turned toward Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park and made their way there.
The large crowd of counterprotesters was initially barred from entry into the park by a line of police officers.
Smaller groups were able to go around the line and enter the park, but officers stopped larger groups because they saw contraband and possible weapons, according to White.
“We came out here because we love America,” said Vacaville resident Brandon Stewart, an anti-Marxist protester. “The First Amendment is being trampled on.”
Emily Flato, another protester and a UC Berkeley alumna, said she was tired of both sides stereotyping each other and never cooperating. Flato said she was present to support the right-wing protesters because of her dislike toward Marxist ideology, but noted that she identifies as a Democrat.
San Francisco resident Dennis Jones attended the protest wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat, and said he was upset about left-wing racial stereotyping of supporters of President Donald Trump. Jones is a Black man.
Later, when more counterprotesters were allowed into the park, people with opposing ideologies began arguing, mostly about President Trump.
“I don’t want my kids to grow up with the same (morals) these libtards have,” said Modesto resident Kristy Moniz, who was at the protest with her husband Henry.
Kristy and Henry Moniz both said they showed up because they believe in “common sense,” and feel that morality is in decline in cities such as Berkeley. Kristy Moniz also said this was only the second protest they had attended.
The counterprotesters were members from different organizations, which despite diverging views on priorities and tactics, had come together in a counterprotest against the right-wing rally, according to Toni Mendicino, a member of the Freedom Socialist Party and a staff member at UC Berkeley School of Law.
Mendicino, who handed out Freedom Socialist Party newspapers to the growing crowd, called it a “multi-issue event.” She condemned the ideals of the protesters on the other side, who she called “fascists,” though she defended their right to protest.
Reiko Redmonde, manager of Revolution Books, had a spread of books in the park overturned and the Revolution Books banner ripped during scuffles between protesters and police.
“(We brought) hundreds of books … “The Communist Manifesto,” Marx, Mao,” Redmonde said, adding that Revolution Books initially planned on selling them and reading them aloud to spread awareness.
Walter Heinecke, an organizer for the counterprotests in Charlottesville, Virginia, was also present. He was in Berkeley for unrelated reasons, and said he heard about the protest by chance.
Heinecke, who labeled himself as a “free radical” unattached to a single organization, planned to support protesters by joining their rally against “white supremacy,” though he said he hoped it would be nonviolent aside from self-defense, “an appropriate response.”
“(When) speech (is) directly tied to violence, it’s not free speech,” Heinecke said. “They’re not getting away with this bullshit.”
Berkeley Police Department: Rules Imposed, weapons banned for Select City Parks, Streets on Aug. 5. 
To ensure the peaceful expression of free speech, the City of Berkeley will temporarily prohibit sticks, pipes, poles and anything else that can be used for a "riot" on Sunday August 5 at two city parks.
In addition, there will also be temporary rules prohibiting various weapons on streets and sidewalks within a defined area.
Anyone violating these rules will be subject to citation and arrest.
These rules are intended to assist those wishing to peaceably express their First Amendment Rights. There are concerns that the motivation behind some of the August 5 events is to mark and revive violent conflicts that occurred during protests in Berkeley in 2017, both on the University of California campus and in City parks and streets. The 2017 events drew large crowds, including masked agitators who started fires, destroyed property, and engaged in violent confrontations with those endorsing opposing viewpoints.
The events of 2017, occurring on February 1, March 4, April 15, April 27, August 27, September 14 and September 24-27, required a substantial police response, including mutual aid. During many of these events, participants came armed with metal pipes, baseball bats, lengths of 2"x 4" lumber spiked with nails, bricks, pepper spray, mace, daggers, combat shields, poles, axe handles, hatchets, helmets, masks, and similar items. Fights broke out and numerous people were seriously injured at some of the events.
The items that will be banned in Civic Center and Ohlone parks include:
- Metal Pipes
- Lengths of lumber or wood (any size)
- Wooden dowels
- Poles or staffs
- Baseball bats or sticks modified for use as a weapon
- Glass bottles or metal cans modified for use as a weapon
- Bricks
- Rocks
- Pepper or bear spray (OC spray)
- Mace
- Knives or daggers
- Firearms
- Shields
- Axes, axe handles, or hatchets
- Ice picks
- Razor blades
- Tasers
- Improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
- Spray cans
- Fire works
- Smoke canisters
- Dynamite
- Heavy-gauge chain
- Torches, lanterns or other devices that use fire or fuel
- Slingshots
- Any other item that is generally considered an "implement of riot" that can be used as a weapon
Additionally, in Civic Center Park and Ohlone Park on August 5, signs and flags must be held by hand, and may not be affixed to any pole or stick. Wearing of a mask, scarf, bandana or any other accessory or item that covers or partially covers the face and shields the wearer's face from view, or partially from view, is prohibited in Civic Center Park and Ohlone Park on August 5, except for coverings worn due to religious beliefs, practices or observances, or medical necessity.
On August 5, 2018, a number of items will be prohibited from being brought by any person into a defined area of Berkeley bounded by Sacramento Street to the west, Piedmont Avenue to the east (between Dwight Way and Bancroft Way) and Oxford Street to the east (between Hearst Avenue and Bancroft Way), Dwight Way to the south, and Delaware Street to the north (except between Shattuck and Avenue and Oxford Street, where Hearst Avenue will mark the northern boundary). The items include:
- Bricks
- Rocks
- Billy clubs
- Poles, sticks, staffs, dowels or baseball bats modified for use as a weapon
- No flags, signs, or banners mounted on poles, boards, sticks, or staffs unless affixed to a building or non-movable structure
- Pepper or bear spray (OC spray)
- Mace
- Knives or daggers
- Firearms
- Shields
- Axes, axe handles, or hatchets
- Ice picks
- Tasers
- Improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
- Fireworks, firecrackers, explosives
- Dynamite
- Torches, lanterns or other devices that use fire or fuel
- Slingshots
- Any other item that is generally considered an "implement of riot" that can be used as a weapon.
Copies of the two Administrative Rules for Aug 5, can be found at:
- Restrictions and Prohibitions in Civic Center Park, Willard Park and Ohlone Park for August 5, 2018
- Restrictions and Prohibitions in Defined Area of Berkeley for August 5, 2018
For peaceful protesters, there are a number of things people can do to stay safe. Separate yourself from people committing violence. Doing so not only keeps you safe, it prevents criminal acts from being done under the cover of a peaceful crowd. That allows police to focus on criminal acts.
The City will work to safeguard our community while facilitating the peaceful expression of the First Amendment. If anyone commits a crime in our community, we will work with the community to identify, investigate and prosecute suspects. That applies both during and after the event.
ADMINISTRATIVE RULE
SUBJECT: RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITIONS IN CIVIC CENTER PARK AND OHLONE PARK FOR AUGUST 5, 2018
PURPOSE
The purpose of this rule is to preserve public safety, protect park property, safely and fairly balance competing uses of the City’s parks, and facilitate First Amendment rights during events being planned for Civic Center Park and Ohlone Park on August 5, 2018.
Pursuant to Berkeley Municipal Code (“BMC”) Chapters 13.44 and 6.46, the City Manager is authorized to impose conditions on the issuance of a permit for a street or park event. No one has applied for or obtained a permit for use of Civic Center Park or Ohlone Park, or for the use of City streets in the vicinity of those parks, for August 5, 2018. Therefore, the conditions, restrictions and prohibitions of this Rule shall apply.
The August 5, 2018 events, dubbed, variously, “No to Marxism in America 2/Exposing Communism,” “Stop the Hate Rally,” “Sweep out the Fascists,” are being planned by groups with opposing political viewpoints, such as the “alt-right”, on the one hand, and the anti- fascists, on the other. There are concerns that the motivation behind some of the August 5 events is to mark and revive violent conflicts that occurred during protests in Berkeley in 2017, both on the University of California campus and in City parks and streets. The 2017 events drew large crowds, including masked agitators who started fires, destroyed property, and engaged in violent confrontations with those endorsing opposing viewpoints. The events of 2017, occurring on February 1, 2017, March 4, 2017, April 15, 2017, April 27, 2017, August 27, 2017 and September 24, 2017, required a substantial police response, including mutual aid. During many of these events, participants came armed with metal pipes, baseball bats, lengths of 2”x 4” lumber spiked with nails, bricks, pepper spray, mace, daggers, combat shields, poles, axe handles, hatchets, helmets, masks, and similar items. Fights broke out and numerous people were seriously injured at some of the events. Arrests were made for offenses that included battery and assault with a deadly weapon. Violence at the 2017 events was well documented by the Berkeley Police Department, the news media, and participants on social media. Numerous participants wore masks or otherwise covered their faces so as to attempt to evade identification while attempting to or committing crimes and engaging in violence.
At the August 27, 2017 conflict, coordinated groups of individuals used Ohlone Park as a meeting place to stage weapons, shields, and other implements of riot, and to practice fighting maneuvers and tactics. These individuals donned masks and collectively marched with their weapons and shields to Civic Center Park, accompanied by a flatbed truck that carried additional implements of riot. Once at the park, a member of the assembled group gave amplified announcements warning, “If you don’t want violence, move away.” The group
SUBJECT: RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITIONS IN CIVIC CENTER PARK AND OHLONE PARK FOR AUGUST 5, 2018
PURPOSE
The purpose of this rule is to preserve public safety, protect park property, safely and fairly balance competing uses of the City’s parks, and facilitate First Amendment rights during events being planned for Civic Center Park and Ohlone Park on August 5, 2018.
Pursuant to Berkeley Municipal Code (“BMC”) Chapters 13.44 and 6.46, the City Manager is authorized to impose conditions on the issuance of a permit for a street or park event. No one has applied for or obtained a permit for use of Civic Center Park or Ohlone Park, or for the use of City streets in the vicinity of those parks, for August 5, 2018. Therefore, the conditions, restrictions and prohibitions of this Rule shall apply.
The August 5, 2018 events, dubbed, variously, “No to Marxism in America 2/Exposing Communism,” “Stop the Hate Rally,” “Sweep out the Fascists,” are being planned by groups with opposing political viewpoints, such as the “alt-right”, on the one hand, and the anti- fascists, on the other. There are concerns that the motivation behind some of the August 5 events is to mark and revive violent conflicts that occurred during protests in Berkeley in 2017, both on the University of California campus and in City parks and streets. The 2017 events drew large crowds, including masked agitators who started fires, destroyed property, and engaged in violent confrontations with those endorsing opposing viewpoints. The events of 2017, occurring on February 1, 2017, March 4, 2017, April 15, 2017, April 27, 2017, August 27, 2017 and September 24, 2017, required a substantial police response, including mutual aid. During many of these events, participants came armed with metal pipes, baseball bats, lengths of 2”x 4” lumber spiked with nails, bricks, pepper spray, mace, daggers, combat shields, poles, axe handles, hatchets, helmets, masks, and similar items. Fights broke out and numerous people were seriously injured at some of the events. Arrests were made for offenses that included battery and assault with a deadly weapon. Violence at the 2017 events was well documented by the Berkeley Police Department, the news media, and participants on social media. Numerous participants wore masks or otherwise covered their faces so as to attempt to evade identification while attempting to or committing crimes and engaging in violence.
At the August 27, 2017 conflict, coordinated groups of individuals used Ohlone Park as a meeting place to stage weapons, shields, and other implements of riot, and to practice fighting maneuvers and tactics. These individuals donned masks and collectively marched with their weapons and shields to Civic Center Park, accompanied by a flatbed truck that carried additional implements of riot. Once at the park, a member of the assembled group gave amplified announcements warning, “If you don’t want violence, move away.” The group
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ADMINISTRATIVE RULE
SUBJECT: RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITIONS IN CIVIC CENTER PARK AND OHLONE
PARK FOR AUGUST 5, 2018
deployed purple smoke to create confusion, violently attacked several individuals, and attempted to provoke physical confrontations with police officers. Several people were seriously injured, 13 people were arrested, and the violent, masked agitators largely escaped capture.
Events organized by the same or similar groups in other areas of the country this year have resulted in serious injuries to participants and police officers, due to physical assaults and use of explosives such as M-80s and M-1000s.
Issuance of this rule and regulation is not a waiver of the City’s current authority to enforce rules against unpermitted events, and does not constitute a sanction of any unpermitted event.
REGULATION
PURSUANT TO BMC 6.32.030:
On August 5, 2018, it shall be a violation of this Rule for any person to bring into Civic Center Park or Ohlone Park, any of the following items:
SUBJECT: RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITIONS IN CIVIC CENTER PARK AND OHLONE
PARK FOR AUGUST 5, 2018
deployed purple smoke to create confusion, violently attacked several individuals, and attempted to provoke physical confrontations with police officers. Several people were seriously injured, 13 people were arrested, and the violent, masked agitators largely escaped capture.
Events organized by the same or similar groups in other areas of the country this year have resulted in serious injuries to participants and police officers, due to physical assaults and use of explosives such as M-80s and M-1000s.
Issuance of this rule and regulation is not a waiver of the City’s current authority to enforce rules against unpermitted events, and does not constitute a sanction of any unpermitted event.
REGULATION
PURSUANT TO BMC 6.32.030:
On August 5, 2018, it shall be a violation of this Rule for any person to bring into Civic Center Park or Ohlone Park, any of the following items:
- Metal pipes
- Lengths of lumber or wood (any
size) - Wooden dowels
- Poles or staffs
- Baseball bats or sticks modified for
use as a weapon - Glass bottles or metal cans modified
for use as a weapon - Bricks
- Rocks
- Pepper or bear spray (OC spray)
- Mace
- Knives or daggers
- Firearms
- Shields
- •Axes, axe handles, or hatchets
- Ice picks
- Razor blades
- Tasers
- Improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
- Spray cans
- Fireworks, firecrackers, explosives
- Smoke canisters
- Dynamite
- Heavy-gauge chain
- Torches, lanterns or other devices
- that use fire or fuel
- Slingshots
- Any other item that is generally considered an “implement of riot” that can be used as a weapon
On August 5, 2018, in Civic Center Park and Ohlone Park, signs and flags must be hand held, and may not be affixed to any pole or stick.
On August 5, 2018, in Civic Center Park and Ohlone Park, the wearing of a mask, scarf, bandana or any other accessory or item that covers or partially covers the face and shields the wearer’s face from view, or partially from view, is prohibited, except for coverings worn due to religious beliefs, practices, or observances, or due to medical necessity.
On August 5, 2018, in Civic Center Park and Ohlone Park, the wearing of a mask, scarf, bandana or any other accessory or item that covers or partially covers the face and shields the wearer’s face from view, or partially from view, is prohibited, except for coverings worn due to religious beliefs, practices, or observances, or due to medical necessity.
ADMINISTRATIVE RULE
SUBJECT: RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITIONS IN CIVIC CENTER PARK AND OHLONE
PARK FOR AUGUST 5, 2018
Law enforcement personnel are exempt from this Rule.
SUBJECT: RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITIONS IN CIVIC CENTER PARK AND OHLONE
PARK FOR AUGUST 5, 2018
Law enforcement personnel are exempt from this Rule.
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