A small group of conservative activists gathered on the steps of Sproul Hall at the University of California at Berkeley today at noon, outnumbered by counter-demonstrators and vastly outnumbered by police. -more-

On Saturday, September 23, San Francisco Opera opened its 2017 production of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata by presenting three international singers who were all making their local debut. Violetta was sung by Romanian soprano Aurelia Florian; Alfredo was sung by Brazilian tenor Atalla Ayan; and Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s father, was sung by Polish baritone Artur Rucinski. To put it succinctly, they were sensational! Rarely, if ever, until now, can I recall hearing for the first time three singers in principal roles in an opera and finding myself astounded by the top-level caliber of their singing! This was opera at its best! -more-

At least one person has been taken into custody this afternoon at a rally and march by the conservative group Patriot Prayer at the University of California at Berkeley campus. -more-

Residents of the Oakland hills north of Interstate Highway 580 and Edwards Drive are being evacuated this afternoon because of a four-alarm grass fire, police and fire officials said. -more-

About 50 homes are threatened this afternoon by a four-alarm fire burning in the Oakland hills, Cal Fire and Oakland fire officials said. -more-

Police responding to a report of a domestic disturbance at a home in Berkeley on Saturday night discovered more than $1 million worth of psychedelic mushrooms, police said. -more-

The group Patriot Prayer is scheduled to hold a rally today at the University of California at Berkeley campus, according to a group organizer. -more-

The Berkeley Police Department and law enforcement partners arrested 11 people as part of efforts to manage demonstrations at and near the UC Berkeley Campus.

There were no reported injuries due to violence and no reports of any property damage.

Previous violence at demonstrations prompted the City to enact regulations prohibiting various weapons on certain City streets and sidewalks as well as three City parks. Violations of those regulations were charged under Berkeley Municipal Code BMC 13.45.020.
Those arrested and their charges are below: -more-

I was looking over your December 2014 article, Helicopters: How Police Tactics Fuel Confrontation, and was startled by how closely it resembles the current situation:

It's stunning to me that the problem just gets worse, especially if you are living near the center of town anywhere. I hope that someone can follow up and understand why nobody can take responsibility for this noise. It has an affect on our health.

If you want to pursue this topic, the best I can do is offer my FAA and Berkeley Health Division's rejection letters and understand the system is not working at the moment, for this issue. -more-

The speeches and demonstrations at the University of California at Berkeley's Sproul Plaza today were mostly peaceful, with no injuries and only two arrests, campus police said. -more-

Well, whiny little Milo came to Sproul Plaza, kvetched to a couple of hundred people, not all of whom were his fans, and now he's gone.

The heavens did not open. Zeus with his thunderbolts did not strike Milo down. The sky did not fall, Chicken Little, sorry to disappoint you.

Outside the campus, an eager assemblage of those who came looking for a fight seem not to have found one, at least as of this writing.

The main crowd of protestors Milo suckered into showing up, as reported by Berkeleyside.com, seem to have been the Bob Avakian puppies currently sailing under the flag of RefuseFaschism.com, whose principal prop, a REALLY LOUD sound system, was reported to have been confiscated by the police under the noise ordinance.

By Any Means Necessary, the longtime bane of the existence of several African-American friends of mine who have kids at UC, did show up, and they have loud voices without amplification. They didn't get struck down either.

I didn't go. I'll be trying to skip all of these faux-right provocations from now on. My media colleagues at berkeleyside.com nobly live-blogged what seems to have been a non-event, and our partners at Bay City News have produced the kind of sober, factual report which I appreciate. I'm happy to have missed it.

At this writing it's only about 2 pm, so there's still time for someone to start a riot, but don't let it distract you from actually useful political action, like, say, phone-banking to Maine to defeat Graham-Kennedy. I think it's highly possible that the sky will go on not falling.

Once again, Berkeley has survived free speech. Can we learn anything from that, or is it more fun to be scared? Me, I'd rather not. -more-

The scheduled speeches at the University of California at Berkeley's Sproul Plaza are over and the scheduled speakers have left the area, Berkeley police said. -more-

The scheduled Sproul Plaza speeches have concluded and the scheduled speakers have left the area. Participants have begun leaving. The road closures are still in effect. -more-

Protests are taking place near Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way in Berkeley, causing traffic congestion, and people are advised to avoid the area if possible, police said this morning. -more-

While the so-called "Free Speech Week" at the University of California at Berkeley has been canceled by its student organizers, far-right speakers said they would hold forth at Sproul Plaza tomorrow. -more-

The so-called "Free Speech Week" at the University of California at Berkeley has been called off by the Berkeley Patriot organization, university officials said this morning.

The Berkeley Patriot student organization is the student group sponsoring the event. Right-wing media personality Milo Yiannopoulos was to appear at the event.

On Friday, a spokeswoman for Yiannopoulos said that the event would still take place despite media reports that it had been canceled. However, in a press conference today, Yiannopoulos confirmed the cancellation, but promised to hold a noon rally on the steps of Sproul Hall, now called the Mario Savio steps, tomorrow.

Representatives of the student organization this morning told university officials that all of the events scheduled for the following week have been canceled, Dan Mogulof, a university spokesman, said in a statement. -more-

A small group of conservative activists gathered on the steps of Sproul Hall at the University of California at Berkeley today at noon, outnumbered by counter-demonstrators and vastly outnumbered by police. -more-

A small group of conservative activists gathered on the steps of Sproul Hall at the University of California at Berkeley today at noon, outnumbered by counter-demonstrators and vastly outnumbered by police. -more-

A small group of conservative activists gathered on the steps of Sproul Hall at the University of California at Berkeley today at noon, outnumbered by counter-demonstrators and vastly outnumbered by police. -more-

Okay, folks. It’s time to start ignoring all of those nutcases, both right and yes, left too.

I know I’m not the right person to use sports analogies, but I did play softball occasionally in school. I do know that what really counts is keeping your eye on the ball.

Say, for example, you’re at bat: pitcher in front of you, catcher behind. Suddenly up in the bleachers a big guy in a clown suit with a neon pink wig and a bunch of balloons jumps up and starts hollering. Then maybe another guy wearing the same outfit but with a yellow wig jumps him from behind, and now they’re both hollering and rolling down the steps.

And here comes the pitch! You swing—and miss. If this happens three times, you’re out. Do it enough, and you lose the game.

While the good people of Berkeley and environs are busy watching the Altered Right and the Hard-Assed Left duke it out on the sidelines, the game is happening on the field, and our side is losing. -more-