A struggle broke out on the Berkeley campus Wednesday after a person grabbed an Israeli flag from a counter-protester.
An Israeli flag was tried to be stolen throughout an altercation on the Free Palestine camp simply earlier than 7 p.m. Wednesday, in keeping with a UC Berkeley Wornmy e-mail.
A witness informed The Each day Californian that there was a loud conflict between pro-Israel counter-protesters and the Free Palestine Encampment, after which a pro-Palestinian protester tried to seize an Israeli flag from a counter-protester.
Video of the incident doesn’t present a “loud altercation.” What it reveals is a comparatively calm state of affairs till a person runs up and grabs the flag. Then, as the 2 fought, a second man arrived and threw a number of punches to the Jewish man’s head.
Video and 🧵: A gaggle carrying an Israeli flag attacked Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley yesterday (Wednesday) night. I spoke with the girl who recorded the cellular phone video that reveals the assault. pic.twitter.com/JofJFmRq37
— Gabe Stutman (@jnewsgabe) May 2, 2024
The lady who filmed this clip is an undergrad at Berkeley Here’s a description of what occurred.
SSI has branches on school campuses throughout the USA, together with Berkeley. Atara stated the nonprofit’s president, Ilan Sinelnikov, flew to Berkeley lately to “see what is going on on” on the camp.
— Gabe Stutman (@jnewsgabe) May 2, 2024
Atara stated they stood a “good first rate distance” from the protesters. However when protesters noticed them carrying Israeli flags, they started “rallying” round them.
— Gabe Stutman (@jnewsgabe) May 2, 2024
Within the video, Atara is seen asking a person standing close to him, protecting his face, to please again off. Nearly instantly, a person in sun shades grabs the Israeli flag that Atara and Ilan are holding collectively.
— Gabe Stutman (@jnewsgabe) May 2, 2024
Atara stated Ilan’s lips had been bloody, he had marks on his neck and face and had developed a “massive bump” on the facet of his head. The group filed a police criticism.
— Gabe Stutman (@jnewsgabe) May 2, 2024
Earlier, once I requested Cohen if the protest was peaceable, he stated it was peaceable, however provided that you adopted the protesters’ guidelines. “If somebody desires to stroll via the doorway of California Corridor with an Israeli flag on their again, that is undoubtedly not going to be peaceable,” he stated.
— Gabe Stutman (@jnewsgabe) May 2, 2024
College students on the camp declare they do not know the person who grabbed the flag.
On Thursday, it was quiet within the camp, with some individuals saying these chargeable for the clashes weren’t a part of their protest.
“We had a person who I had by no means seen within the camp, none of us knew, who instantly disappeared,” stated scholar Hamza Mahmud. “We’re unsure who this individual is that simply grabbed a flag.”
A member of the UC Berkeley Divest Coalition reiterated the identical level, saying the individual holding the flag was not a part of the camp.
Is it true? I seen that the person holding the flag gave the impression to be probably the most aggressive individual within the camp. Right here he’s shouting for the “Zionists” to return to Europe. He additionally referred to as them “Talmudic devils”.
“ZIONISTS GO BACK TO EUROPE…COLONISTS…TALMUDIC DEVILS” – UC Berkeley protester yells at Jews.
The true face of the “Free Palestine” motion. pic.twitter.com/8OyAzVgHFF
— Cease Antisemitism (@StopAntisemites) May 3, 2024
He’s referring to the Jewish counter-protesters however he’s directing his feedback to the tent camps. Folks there do not appear to react very enthusiastically to his spiel. I might say they give the impression of being just a little uncomfortable.
However what in regards to the different man, who threw the punch? The rejects be aware that there was “one individual” they hadn’t seen earlier than. So is the person who threw the punch can also be an outsider?
For those who watch the video of the assault once more (above), you will discover he is carrying inexperienced pants, white sneakers, and a darkish t-shirt. Now watch the video posted by Cease Antisemitism and you will see the identical man at 14 seconds standing subsequent to a big man in a crimson keffiyeh who seems to be some type of safety for the camp. It appears they’re speaking. So he’s additionally a stranger? It appears there’s extra to this story. The person who threw the punch ought to be arrested.
Reviews say Barclay started talks to finish camp earlier this week.
The UC Berkeley administration has begun negotiations with the UC Berkeley Divestment Coalition and the Free Palestine Encampment, which has been occupying the entrance steps of Sproul Corridor since April 22.
Though campus spokesman Dan Mogulf stated the campus would neither affirm nor deny that the assembly passed off, The Each day California spoke with a number of organizers who attended the assembly.
That was three days in the past and to date these talks do not appear to have yielded outcomes. Conversely, the SF Chronicle Reviews are that the camp continues to be increasing.
A professional-Palestinian encampment at UC Berkeley expanded Friday after alumni arrived at Sproul Plaza and arrange extra tents.
The camp was established on April 22, and protesters stated they plan to remain till the college divests from firms doing enterprise in Israel and creates a Palestinian research program for college kids.
Round 5:30 p.m. Friday, a gaggle of protesters started pitching tents inside an “alumni village,” blocking a 150-foot stretch of Sproul Plaza adjoining to the camp. The group created a wall by chaining plastic folding tables collectively and attaching them to campus kiosks in addition to plastic trash cans. In whole, there have been 12 tents within the village along with the tents outdoors the alumni village, which a protest spokesman stated numbered 180.
It appears to me that Berkeley has dodged a bullet to date within the sense that nobody has been severely injured. However because the video above reveals, it was an in depth factor. If certainly one of these punches had related extra firmly, it might have been nationwide information.
