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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 28 august 2017

Berkeley protests turn tense with right and left facing off

By PAUL ELIAS nounced a Latino man
JOCELYN GECKER holding a “God Bless Don-
Associated Press ald Trump” sign.
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — “You are an immigrant,”
Several thousand people said Karla Fonseca. “You
converged in Berkeley Sun- should be ashamed of
day for a “Rally Against yourself.”
Hate” in response to a Several other people also
planned right-wing protest yelled at the man, who
that raised concerns of vio- said he was born in Mexico
lence and triggered a mas- but supports Trump’s pro-
sive police presence. Sev- posal to build a wall along
eral people were arrested the southern border.
for violating rules against Police pulled one supporter
covering their faces or of President Donald Trump
carrying items banned by out of the park over a wall
authorities.Tense but brief by his shirt as a crowd of
skirmishes erupted when about two dozen counter
several dozen left-wing demonstrators surrounded
protesters surrounded and him and chanted “Nazi go
shouted at a handful of home” and pushed him to-
right-wing demonstrators. ward the edge of the park.
Donald Trump supporter Arthur Schaper, left, argues his position with Mustafa Payrvand, center, Three of those targeted At least two people were
and Christina Tunnah during a free speech rally Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Berkeley, Calif. Protest-
ers gathered for a “Rally Against Hate” in response to a planned right-wing protest that raised sought safety by rushing detained by officers for
concerns of clashes and prompted a large police presence. toward officers sand were wearing bandannas cov-
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) escorted out of the park. ering their faces.Earlier Sun-
They were put in van that day, a separate counter
was kicked by yelling left- protest took place on the
wing protesters as it drove nearby Berkeley university
away. campus despite calls by
The left-wing protesters far university police for dem-
outnumbered those who onstrators to stay away.
showed up for the largely From the campus, the
peaceful rally, which po- crowd marched to Civic
lice tried to keep safe Center Park and merged
by setting up barricades with the anti-rally protest-
around it and checking ers who had already gath-
people who entered to ered there.The Berkeley
make sure they did not rallies happened a day
have prohibited items like after a rally planned by
baseball bats, dogs, skate- a right-wing group fizzled
boards and scarves or ban- amid throngs of counter-
danas they could use to protesters in San Francisco.
cover their faces.Anti-rally San Francisco Mayor Ed
protesters chanted slogans Lee declared victory over
“No Trump. No KKK. No fas- a group he branded as in-
cist USA” and carried signs viting hate.Berkeley Mayor
that said: “Berkeley Stands Jesse Arreguin had urged
280 2333 United Against Hate.” counter-protesters to stay

Orange Plaza Berkeley is the city that away.The organizer of Sun-
gave birth to the 1960s Free day’s right-wing event was
Italiëstraat 50 Speech Movement but au- Amber Cummings, a trans-
thorities refused to issue a gender woman and Trump
permit allowing Sunday’s supporter who has repeat-
event. The city and the Uni- edly denounced racism.
versity of California, Berke- Cummings said that de-
ley campus have been monization by mayors in
the site of political clashes both cities and left-wing
and violence over the past extremists made it impos-
year.At one point Sunday, sible for people with other
an anti-rally protester de- views to speak out. q