Cops And Klan Go Hand In Hand: A Report from Berkeley

Report from the streets of Berkeley on the recent antifascist mobilization on August 5th.

On August 5, 2018, upwards of 1000 people assembled in Berkeley to march on a planned white supremacist fascist rally. During its attempt to reach the “Alt-Right” rally in Martin Luther King Civic Center Park, the march repeatedly encountered heavily defended police barricades that prevented them from entering the public park. After several attempts to reach this location, dozens of people brought barricade material to the front and gathered over twenty feet away from the police line. Without any provocation, the Berkeley Police Department began firing on the crowd with a variety of projectiles. In response, the front of the march began to hurl their own variety of projectiles. This is not the version of reality currently being presented by the BPD.

Berkeley has issued an advisory with rules it will impose Sunday at two city parks + thru much of central Berkeley to ensure "the peaceful expression of free speech." Don't miss the full list of banned items, and the background: https://t.co/BOzLs5CsX0 #AllOutBayArea #StopTheHate pic.twitter.com/7RyXpHqGZi

— Berkeleyside (@berkeleyside) August 4, 2018

“Without any provocation, the Berkeley Police Department began firing on the crowd with a variety of projectiles. In response, the front of the march began to hurl their own variety of projectiles. This is not the version of reality currently being presented by the BPD.”

In the police narrative, the march hurled “fireworks” at them, prompting their indiscriminate and erratic firing of projectiles into a crowd. This police fabrication is being released to the public just as the names, ages, unproven charges, and photographs of 17 people arrested today are being freely divulged on the internet, a move that can only help the fascists.

Within the span of 48 hours, the police departments of both Portland and Berkeley have peddled the same lie to the public while devoting massive resources to securing their fascist allies ability to assemble unchallenged. At least two fascists were allowed by the BPD to enter the Civic Center Park today with body armor and weapons, a privilege they didn’t extend to their anti-fascist antagonists who were arrested for the crime of “possession of a banned weapon.”

After being fired upon, the antifascists continued to march through downtown Berkeley. Several City of Berkeley City cars, a Marines recruiting center, and a bank had their windows smashed to highlight their complicity in supporting fascism, whether at home or abroad. At one point, a fascist began to approach the march but promptly ran away.

Proud Boy who in Portland called for immigrants to be murdered by bashing their brains against the concrete apparently was terrified to walk around the streets of #Berkeley without police there to protect him. https://t.co/0Zd3bcj9aa

— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) August 7, 2018

“Within the span of 48 hours, Both police departments have peddled the same lie to the public while devoting massive resources to securing their fascist allies the ability to assemble unchallenged.”

The overt State strategy of favoring fascists over the much larger antifascist contingents is a rising trend in numerous police forces.

The cities that allow these police to implement their racist agenda of attacking antifascism and protecting the rather pathetic, tiny gatherings of the Alt-Right are guilty of direct collaboration with the fascist resurgence.

This goes for “liberal” Berkeley just as it does for “green” Portland. This state strategy must be exposed and thwarted immediately, given the gravity of the situation.

All out to defend the 17 arrested in Berkeley. No one gets left behind.