Berkeley was the venue for Political Violence again when Trump supporters staged a rally at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park. The demonstrators were met by black-clad so-called “Antifa” counter-demonstrators. A bloody brawl ensued with fistfights breaking out, rocks thrown and blunt instruments used. In the end, police had arrested 21 people, and 11 people sustained injuries.
Political violence Is nothing new to Berkeley. The University of California was the scene of some of the most violent anti-war riots of the Vietnam era. More recently rioters forced the cancellation of speech to be made by then Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos.
Pro-Trump and anti-Trump protestors have previously staged street battles in the famous left-wing community.
The upsurge of violence between political factions is a product of the 2016 election, which had the surprise result of electing Donald Trump, a man who had previously held no political office, to the post of president of the United States. He had also won by gaining the most electoral votes while actually losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. The result has been a feeling of bitterness and anger among many people who opposed Trump in the election and hence an upsurge in violence. The rage has been greater even than the recount fiasco of the 2000 election when bitter Democrat partisans groused that President George W.
Bush was, “selected, not elected.”
The Trump supporters have proven to be no slouches when it comes to street brawling. The pro-Trump demonstrators included some members of the semi-militia Promise Keepers group and some members of biker gangs. They were ready to rumble given the opportunity, and it was provided by the anti-Trump counter protestors.
Reports suggest that the pro-Trump people gave a good account of themselves before local police were able to restore order.
The instances of political street violence are likely to redound to the benefit of Trump. People elected him, in part, as a man who would bring order to chaos. Law and order presidents tend to thrive when their opponents resort of brawling in the streets.
That the president’s supporters have become the target of such violence is only icing on the cake.
Anti-Trump protestors are only playing into their enemy’s hands if they initiate violence and otherwise behave foolishly. They might want to considere emulating the Tea Party, whose peaceful protests and political organizing eventually won the government back from President Obama and the Democrats. Street violence is likely only to alienate people and ensure a landslide Trump victory in 2020.
