According to UC-Berkeley administrators and public safety officials, it’s not safe to allow a conservative speaker on campus after dark. After booking David Horowitz to speak on their campus through YAF’s campus lecture program, the conservative club at Berkeley received word from campus officials that in order to allow Horowitz to speak, the event would have to be held at a safe time, and in a safe location. Berkeley’s idea of safety apparently means 1:00pm and on the Clark Kerr campus, an entirely separate area of UC-Berkeley. As if quarantining conservatives wasn’t enough, Berkeley warned the club not to advertise their event. As a final straw, the school leveraged $5,788 in unconstitutional security fees against the conservative club, saying the cost was justified by Horowitz’s dangerous conservative ideas, in addition to the more than $2,000 the club was already being charged for their off-the-beaten-path venue. Rather than taking steps to prevent intolerant, violent leftists from smashing windows, setting fires, or attacking conservatives, UC-Berkeley has decided it’s easier to just push the conservatives off their main campus, force them to meet in broad daylight, prevent them from promoting their event, and effectively fine them for bringing a conservative to speak. Berkeley’s administration has been caught in the act of something that we see far too often on campuses nationwide: taking steps to prevent students from hearing a conservative viewpoint. By treating conservatives as outcasts, crippling their ability to spread information, and demanding large sums of money under the guise of public safety, Berkeley is sending a clear message: If you’re a conservative, you’re only welcome on our campus if you’re willing to keep quiet, do as you’re told, and buy your right to “free” speech.
