Protest disrupts Kelley event at Berkeley

Bill Kelley, former deputy counsel to President Bush and current Notre Dame Law School professor, got a taste of life at a slightly more liberal university when protesters disrupted an event he was participating in last week at UC-Berkeley. There's a photo:

He looks somewhat perturbed. The Daily Californian article doesn't say, however, whether Professor Kelley was branded a "war criminal" by the protesters. (The event's moderator, Professor John Yoo, was.)

As usual with such protesters, they were very interested in free speech, so long as they were the ones speaking. "As the panelist discussion progressed, protestors continuously shouted at Yoo," according the Daily Cal.

And their shouts weren't even relevant to the topic at hand -- while the protesters were rambling about torture and executive power, the panelists (who included USC professor Susan Estrich, another noted war criminal*) tried to have a discussion about why voters should carefully consider potential Supreme Court nominations in making election decisions this fall, something you'd think the protesters would agree with. But, you know, heaven forbid scholars get together to talk about such things. They must be shouted down! They're war criminals! They're evil fascists!! Bush=Hitler!!! *sigh*

Said Ethan Rarick, director of the Center on Politics at the Institute of Governmental Studies: "We're fine with people coming to express their opinions, even on the panelists and participants, but it should not disrupt the event."

*...and by "war criminal," I mean "antiwar liberal feminist."

Comments

[David K.]

This is what pissed me off about the WTO protestors up here in Seattle, same attitude towards the rights of others to have their ideas heard (i.e. they don't deserve it). Protest is one thing, but protest OUTSIDE the event, inside if you have a question/comment wait til the appropriate time. I'm all for free speecha nd what not but I hope these yokels can get some kind of punishment for what they did, given that its Berkley probably not after their stupid stance on Marine recruiters recently, but still one can hope...

[JT]

I googled John Yoo out of curiosity. The argument that he is a war criminal has just as much if not more merit than his interpretation of the seperation of powers to basically give Bush a blank check to interpret treaties and laws in a way that would allow almost limitless torture.

[Alasdair]

The classic fascist tactic is to prevent the other person's point of view from being heard, especially physically, by shouting the speaker down, or even by chasing the speaker physically off the stage or away from the podium ...

If these protesters had a valid point to make, they should have made it ... by their actions, they reveal themselves as practising fascists rather than legitimate protesters ...

[Alec]

Yep, nothing wrong with direct action - provided you wait your turn... :)

[Jen]

I wonder if you're missing the point here, and if perhaps these protesters precisely did not want Yoo to speak. I doubt that this protest is about free speech per se, but much more about Yoo's stance on torture and his ability, after that stance, to speak as a legitimate academic anymore, anywhere, on any subject. To call the protester's tactics fascist in opposition to Yoo and the results of his "work" is just to lack any sense of irony.

[Jim]

I tend to agree with Jen. While not passing judgment on the substance of their point, to imply that civil disobedience interrupting a speaker to call attention to important issues is hardly infringing on Yoo's freedom of speech. The organizers could have the protesters removed if they saw fit.

Secondly, it's silly to compare the platform someone like Yoo has to what these people have.

That said, they should have been removed from the proceedings (I saw no mention that they were) so that their point can be punctuated and so that Yoo could continue to get his point across, whatever it was.

[Sandy Underpants]

I'm sure those "Fascist" protesters were promptly dragged out of the speech causing little disturbance to any of the speakers, as screaming protesters are usually quickly silenced at any event. If only defeating fascism were so easy, and if only standing up against people who advocate torture were looked down upon by people of Alisdairs party, this country may not be viewed as the hypocritcal disgrace it currently is.

[poetryman69]

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If Brazil can do biomass/ethanol power so can we.

If Australia can do LNG power so can we.

Domestically produced energy will end recession and spur the economy.

[Alasdair]

Jen - it is flat-out wrong to drown out a speaker ... it is ironic, indeed, to do so at a university which *used* to be considered to be a bastion of the free speech movement ... now, who was it that you said "to lack any sense of irony." ?

The portrayed "peaceful" protesters could have taken the high ground by potesting peacefully and silently, and could have reproached Yoo by their very presence ... when they chose to try to drown out the speaker, they adopted the classic fascist tactic ...

As the saying goes "An Evil Deed done in a Good Name remains an Evil Deed" ...