August 27, 2017

Berkeley Calms as Counterprotesters Declare Victory

Scattered violence gives way to celebration.

Comedian W. Kamau Bell and others celebrate in Berkeley on Sunday.Madison Pauly

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Right-wing rallies planned for San Francisco largely fizzled on Saturday, but thousands of counterprotesters filled the streets, demonstrating against hate. Today, all eyes turn to Berkeley. As we explained last week:

[O]n Sunday, August 27, an estimated 300 people are supposed to descend on an anti-communist rally, known as “No to Marxism in America,” in Berkeley’s Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park. The online event’s organizer, Amber Cummings, recently decried white nationalists and called for nonviolent demonstrations; she posted on Facebook, “I myself am a transsexual female who embraces diversity and loves diversity. This event is not a event of hate speech.” Even still, politicians and city officials have expressed concern that the rally could attract far-right agitators, particularly as the location was the site of clashes between right-wing groups and counterdemonstrators earlier this year.

It’s unclear whether that event will actually happen. On Friday, Cummings released a statement saying, “I will be attending the event alone. I stress I DO NOT WANT ANYONE COMING and if they do you will be turned away.” Meanwhile, Joey Gibson, the organizer of Saturday’s unsuccessful right-wing “Patriot Prayer” rally, wrote yesterday that his group would descend on Berkeley on Sunday.

Regardless of what happens, counterprotesters are expected to be out in force. We’ve got reporters on the scene and will keep you up to date on the latest developments.

2:50 pm PT: The crowd, consisting of both antifa and everyday folks, has decamped from Berkeley’s Civic Center Park, marched a few blocks to Ohlone Park on Berkeley’s Northside, and declared victory. Things have calmed down, at least for now. And hey, look who’s at the barricades…

https://twitter.com/shane_bauer/status/901930363240333312

2:32 pm PT:

Madison Pauly also has been talking with the medics:

Another Mojo reporter required their services:

https://twitter.com/shane_bauer/status/901915423653871616

2:26 pm PT:

1:50 pm PT: Mojo reporters confirm police are firing off teargas at antifa crowd. And reports of rubber bullets as well. Things have turned very sour.

https://twitter.com/shane_bauer/status/901910367239938048

https://twitter.com/shane_bauer/status/901909988792180737

(SF Chronicle reporter Lizzie Johnson tweeted this update later…)

https://twitter.com/shane_bauer/status/901909971637379072

1:30 pm PT: Black Bloc crowd has taken over Civic Center park.

1:21 pm PT: Berkeley Police donning gas masks. An officer told our reporter they may use gas—without warning.

https://twitter.com/shane_bauer/status/901902402462261248

1:00 pm PT:

12:55 pm PT:

12:30 pm PT:

https://twitter.com/shane_bauer/status/901882141180440576

12:20 pm PT:

https://twitter.com/m_katzzz/status/901886363414347776

12:10 pm PT:

We have no words to add to this.

12:07 pm PT:

#RESIST.

12:05 pm PT:

Right-wing activists seem to be vastly outnumbered by counterprotesters once again.

https://twitter.com/shane_bauer/status/901881438198423553

12:00 pm PT:

Police are breaking up scuffles between Trump supporters and counterprotesters:

https://twitter.com/shane_bauer/status/901881013332094976

https://twitter.com/m_katzzz/status/901881215703060480

10:50 am PT:

Counterprotesters are gathering for Berkeley’s Rally Against Hate.

10:40 am PT:

Small confrontations are already taking place.

10:25 am PT:

More than 500 police officers are on hand to try to control the crowds and prevent the type of violence that happened in Charlottesville.

https://twitter.com/m_katzzz/status/901853219764051968

 

10:17 am PT:

Gibson is still saying he plans to appear in Berkeley today…

…residents of Berkeley, meanwhile, are making their views clear.

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DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And we need your support like never before, to fight back against the existential threats American democracy faces. Fundraising for nonprofit media is always a challenge, and we need all hands on deck right now. We have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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