Do you believe those who caused UC Berkley $100,000 in damages to be conservatives or liberals?

It was liberals. It’s always the liberals that riot. They didn’t like the idea of a conservative giving a speech in their liberal safe zone.

That’s true. When conservatives get angry, they just burn down a black church.

They weren’t liberals, they were anarchists. There is a big difference.

And, there is actually knowledgeable speculation that they were right-wing agitators sent in to “paint” peaceful demonstrators as being intolerant.

Conservatives have disrupted many a speech. They are not wholly innocent.

This is a loaded question with loaded answers. All people are capable of losing control in the heat of the moment, every last one of us. Could it have been “liberals?” Yes. Could it have been “conservatives?” Yes. Do we know for sure who it was? Nope. Regardless, there is no reason for it to have been violent.

I firmly believe that there is a large criminal element that waits for an out of control demonstration so they can rush in and loot. I have read reports of people waiting in pickups and vans parked nearby so they can take advantage and begin looting.

Yeah. They’re neither conservative or liberal. They’re just assholes. The rioters were not affiliated with the school or, as far as I know, any political party.

@YARNLADY Yeah. Assholes look for excuses to riot. Doesn’t matter what it’s about. They just want to Break Shit. I don’t think anything in particular was looted at UC Berkley.

@zenvelo They weren’t liberals, they were anarchists.
Well, either they were against established government which would make them very ignorant as UC Berkley is not a government or any part of the federal government, or even the state. Or they are liberal because anarchist are known to have left-wing ideology, then I guess one has to determine if left-wing is closer to liberals conservatives.

Conservatives have disrupted many a speech. They are not wholly innocent
No one is saying conservatives are innocent, I can say, however, as of late, I can’t recall any of the violence at demonstrations to be connected to conservatives by media I have seen.

And, there is actually knowledgeable speculation…]
Well, speculation disqualified that one right there……

@ANef_is_Enuf This is a loaded question with loaded answers.
The only way it is a loaded question is if one doesn’t like the true answer or what is reasonably true. Either they are closer to liberals, closer to conservatives, or if neither then they would have to be libertarian, and why would they care?

@YARNLADY _ I firmly believe that there is a large criminal element that waits for an out of control demonstration so they can rush in and loot_
What were they looting? From the footage I seen in the media they did not get much passed the lobby and certainly not to where there were the good computers.

@Dutchess_III The rioters were not affiliated with the school or, as far as I know, any political party.
Even though they are not affiliated with the GOP or the DNC, they most likely have some leaning one way or another, sure, some don’t but are you saying a bunch of non-affiliated people manage to get together at that

HC we all KNOW your viewpoint, so what was the real question ? ?

What is the feeling and leanings of the Fluther members?

@Hypocrisy_Central The University of California is a public university sponsored by the State of California. Many elected officials are ex officio members of the Board of Regents, including the Governor. So, it very much falls into being part of the government.

And Anarchists are not liberals, and liberals are not anarchists. It might help if you broke away from your dualistic thinking. Life is more complicated than us/them, left/right, conservative/liberal, Democrat/Republican.

I disagree. I say they are apolitical, just assholes looking for a good fight. They don’t have the brains to think about politics.

@Tropical_Willie HC we all KNOW your viewpoint, so what was the real question?
I stated it. I am curious as to who Flutheronians here believe the culprits align themselves more too? If it were some gunman who shot up the Feminist Anti-Trump march on DC, if that person or a group of people said disparaging things about women right before they did it or did it because of the march would they not be called something to the form of bigots, chauvinist, or misogynist, or would they simply be seen as assholes spoiling for a fight or gleaning attention?

What is your viewpoint?

@zenvelo The University of California is a public university sponsored by the State of California. Many elected officials are ex officio members of the Board of Regents, including the Governor. So, it very much falls into being part of the government.
I am sure more are connected with Stanford, so why not riot there? They did not riot there simultaneously and they haven’t rioted there any time after Berkley that I can see. Why would Stanford or any other UC or State college be less connected or whatever their connections to elected officials be, not be as damning as UC Berkley? After all, has not Berkley had a long-time reputation as being a very liberal city? It least it has been said of that since I was a kid.

@Dutchess_III I say they are apolitical, just assholes looking for a good fight.
I ask you, if a group of people said derogatory things about women and the DC March before descending on the marchers beating some with rubber hoses and clubs, you would simply say they were assholes spoiling for a fight with no agenda or political reasoning for doing so?

HC the damages were caused anarchists !

Anarchist don’t equal liberals in this universe.

@Hypocrisy_Central Stanford is a private school. Milos Y.‘s invitation would not have been approved in the first place.

@Hypocrisy_Central I looked through several online articles that had headlines containing the word “looting” and could not find any specific information.

People showed up an “there was looting” !

@zenvelo Milos Y.‘s invitation would not have been approved in the first place.
Why would his invitation have anything to do with the price of tea in China if it were just a bunch of non-student thugs spoiling for a fight? There are plenty other state schools they could have gone to cause mayhem at for no reason at all, San Jose State, California State, Humboldt State, etc. If non-party anarchist just wanted to thrash a State sanctioned school or any that had ties to government because of staff, only Berkley cornered the market on that? Even more, why not do it last month, why not do it while Obama was in office, why that particular moment, mere coincidence?

@YARNLADY I looked through several online articles that had headlines containing the word “looting” and could not find any specific information.
I was merely exploring the comment you made about people taking advantage of the situation to loot, even to the point of standing at the ready with pickup trucks. I was just wondering where that came from as the footage and photos I have seen did not show any looting as there was nothing of real valuable to loot from the lobby.

What, exactly, did the anarchist say about whatever, @Hypocrisy_Central? I’ve not heard any reports that any of them said anything at all. They just came in and started breaking stuff.

@Dutchess_III They just came in and started breaking stuff.
I suppose of we are to hold onto the notion that the estimated 300 some odd ”anarchist” that just managed to congregate spontaneously or by social media invite, to start breaking things at Berkley to get back at the government when they had plenty of other opportunities, that it was damn fortunate timing, and it can also be more than not accurately discerned that since they are merely anti-government with no party leaning, they are non-voters as well.

Realistically, by reason and logic, if there were a way to look at the voter register none of them would be found on it as declaring to be in the GOP or the DNC? I mean off reasonable evidence.

HC, you’re losing it. Of course they heard of the peaceful protest. Of course they organized themselves. I asked what they had to say about it before they converged, which would prove whether or not they’re conservative or liberal.

”... if a group of people said derogatory things about women and the DC March before descending on the marchers….”
What derogatory things were the Black Bloc protesters they saying before they came in?

For what it’s worth, I have a friend living in Berkeley, who recently attended Cal, and who has a knack for getting to the bottom of situations—she confirms that the planned protest was a non-violent dance party, and that the UC’s administration did everything in their power to control the situation and protect Yiannopulos’s right to free speech. The riot was caused separately by anarchists, most of whom came in from outside of Berkeley specifically to cause a riot. (And, given the advanced planning and promotion required to have a non-violent, dance party protest, of course the anarchists would have the time and information needed to crash the party.) She also pointed out that the anarchists coming in and causing a riot that spoils a protest is nothing new there, despite the fanfare that accompanied this particular instance.

Since left- and liberal-leaning minds support a government which provides various public services and programs, they certainly aren’t anarchists, who want to abolish government structures.

@Soubresaut The riot was caused separately by anarchists, most of whom came in from outside of Berkeley specifically to cause a riot.
Alright, let’s take that as fact, these invading anarchists, are you saying they are non-voter who have zero political leanings, not Democrat, Republican, Green, Libertarian, or anything? They do not vote on anything unless policy and not party? Would that be reasonable to what you are alluding?

@Hypocrisy_Central, I honestly don’t know how each individual anarchist votes or whether any of them have secondary political leanings towards any group in particular. Ideologically, though, anarchists would be opposed to any of the political parties you mentioned—precisely because those political parties are all supporting one form of government or another. I am sure that anarchists have varying positions on social, environmental, etc., issues that may align them more closely with one political group than another—but that doesn’t mean they support that group… similar to how the various political parties have points of overlap with each other, and they are still separate from one another… although, anarchists are probably still more removed, since the various political groups are usually looking for democratic/political/governmental means for pursuing their positions.

Anarchist are opposed to government, period. As foolish and short sighted as the philosophy is.

^^^^flagged 10:6 p.m. PST 2/7