UC Berkeley Students Don’t Care
Milo Yiannopoulos the right wing hate monger; Antifa, the left wing terrorist group, Berkeley students who hate free speech, and college republicans who just want violence and controversy.
This is the Berkeley I’ve read about in the news, but haven’t seen everyday at school. You’d think that there is a large and active political climate amongst the students and on the Berkeley campus if you read the news, but I promise it’s not what you think. It’s more like students are part of a reality TV show, with outsiders staging conflict and commentary for the cameras, and all us students buying into the set up.
November 9, the morning after the presidential election, I heard “Fuck Donald Trump!” as the crowds cheered rebuking the results of the election. Emotions were high, grief in the air. Frustration manifested into students marching up and down UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza with chanting and holding a rally.
I figured it was to be expected, the election result was a surprise, and students at UC Berkeley were bound to be upset. But UC Berkeley students weren’t the ones out protesting. It was high school students.
I was actually upset, not so much at the election result, that was more so shocking, but the fact UC Berkeley students were being upstaged by high school students in protesting. I had the imagery Mario Savio and the Free Speech Movement that took place on Sproul Plaza, the outpouring of students coming together for a movement.
I was expecting college students en masse protesting. It sure seemed like most people at Berkeley wouldn’t have been able to stand the idea of Trump as president. But no, it was just high school students coming here. It began to dawn on me that what I thought was a very political UC Berkeley wasn’t here. Students just don’t care enough.
Take the Milo Yianopolous scheduled speech and the subsequent protest on February 1, 2017. Yianopolous, a public figure on the right side of the political spectrum was known to rile up left leaning college students when he spoke on campuses across the country. Thus, a counter protest was set up by students. The night ended with building windows damaged and looted, a burning generator, some bloodied faces, and plenty of Instagram and newsworthy photos of the protest.
This is a simplistic summary of what happened. But this is what most everyone knows about that night. I left out details that both “sides” may want to hear about. I’m not discussing the argument that because Milo was going to name off undocumented students and thus anything must be done to stop his speech. I don’t want to write about the role of “free speech” and whether public college campuses have a duty to allow any and all to speak. I want to leave this out of my discussion because, most students here haven’t given thought to these issues. Most aren’t that concerned with these issues.
There is a desire to be where everyone else is, to have a photo you took at the newsworthy event. It’s in style to have that perfect photo with your protest sign out showing your opinion. Sure, maybe most students at UC Berkeley don’t particularly like Milo and what he has to say, but I guarantee if there wasn’t so a track record of controversy following Milo’s speeches on college campuses, if you weren’t able to snap a pic with your phone for Instagram, there would not have been so many students out in attendance.
This doesn’t just apply to those against Milo, I saw the same thing happen with students suddenly super motivated to go out and attend his speech in support of him. These friends of mine weren’t deeply political, didn’t really know much about Milo’s views and opinions, but they were fascinated by the idea of being out where a bunch of “triggered” students would be protesting and that they could be a part of the spectacle.
The headlines of late have read “Berkeley Protest Turns Violent” when it should be saying, “Largely Apathetic Students Stay Home while Outsiders Fight at UC Berkeley”.
The recent spate of violence in Berkeley finally moved away from the campus. It has been taking place outside of the Berkeley City Hall. Antifa — on the left side of politics, and Alt-right supporters clashed violently because of… something. Because they disagree? I’m not quite sure, most students don’t know. Most of the people at those violent events are not from Berkeley, much less students at UC Berkeley. There is certainly a strong political climate in the city of Berkeley, but on campus, most students just want to be left alone and are tired of the rabble of constant protests.
The planned Ann Coulter speech was the most recent impetus for outsiders coming in to protest and clash violently. Again, there was news coverage about if free speech being blocked by the University for refusing to have her speak at first. There were arguments over how she only pulled out because no one was going to pay her a high speaking fee. All of these points were lost on the students. I felt like this was just another big deal being played up by the news that most students couldn’t care less about. These issues might matter to lots of people, but it doesn’t matter that much to most students here.
Of course there are many students who are very into politics, into promoting their political ideology. There are students that can’t stand Milo speaking, or Trump’s policies. There are students that really do have conservative values and want to make their voice heard on the largely liberal campus. But these students are in the minority and comprise such a small group of the student population.
Don’t come to Berkeley hoping for active political engagement from all the students. If you’re wondering “So what’s it like on Berkeley with all the protests?” the truth is, for most students, there is a small group of people making a big scene, expressing their views, but most people just want to get to class and worry about their own problems.
The media at large seems to be trying to paint UC Berkeley and its students as activist liberal protesters. Berkeley has a history of protest and counter culture, but students today are not the same, the engagement is not there. Students by and large just don’t care.
