Berkeley, stop supporting white supremacists and their politics of hate.
A statement from a Jewish, anti-racist, Berkeley resident, Ellen Brotsky.
Berkeleyside’s article following the September 25th City Council Meeting shows how dangerous it is when reporters adopt police narratives that attack social justice movements. I am a longtime progressive Berkeley community member involved in ongoing efforts to hold the Berkeley Police Department accountable, stop the militarization of police by pulling out of Urban Shield, and strengthen the power of the Police Review Commission. As a Jewish person I am outraged to see white supremacists gathering near my home. Their efforts to recruit and expand in Berkeley represent a real threat to public safety.
On September 25th, responding to public outcry over leaked emails showing Berkeley police and city attorneys planning intimidation of protesters, the City Council rightfully approved a measure that stops the police department from releasing pictures and identifying information of people involved in “First Amendment activities” through social media. The measure was proposed by Councilwoman Cheryl Davila, who has exercised considerable leadership on racial justice issues in Berkeley, consistently working with the progressive community in our calls for police accountability, sanctuary for all, housing as a right, and upholding human rights for everyone, including Palestinians. She submitted the measure in large part to protect the ability of people to protest white supremacist gatherings without fear of retaliation from the police and white supremacists.
Emilie Raguso’s original piece and her update from September 26 make the deeply misleading case that Sara Kershnar, a local progressive Jewish activist, single-handedly organized the anti-fascist demonstrations (ridiculous, as those vibrant counter-protests were organized by various groups and leaders from many backgrounds, united in opposition to white supremacy in Berkeley). Further, the articles leave the dangerous impression that it is those same anti-racist demonstrators, and not the white supremacists themselves, who pose a danger to the Berkeley community. The police department takes the same wrongheaded approach when it publishes photos of anti-racist demonstrators to intimidate them and thereby reduce their numbers, while expending enormous resources to protect the ability of far-right extremists to march unimpeded — a strategy that was made illegal by the City Council’s action last week. It is deeply disappointing to see that same false narrative reproduced in Raguso’s reporting here at Berkeleyside.
Raguso also implies that Kershnar manipulated Councilwoman Davila, her boss, into bringing forward the resolution in an attempt to protect herself and her friends. The idea that there is a Jewish puppet-master behind a Black leader is so classically anti-semitic and racist that it could have been ripped from the pages of a white supremacist handbook. Councilmember Davila works constantly with the progressive community. That Davila wrote and introduced a resolution to challenge the dangerous and unconstitutional protocol where Berkeley police “doxx” protestors is consistent with all she stands for. Kershnar is Davila’s aide and, of course, helped to edit the resolution. Sara works under the leadership of Councilwoman Davila and to claim otherwise is racism, pure and simple.
There are several other irresponsible mischaracterizations in Berkeleyside’s piece. Raguso allows the police’s description of demonstrators’ “weapons” while making no mention that that the “weapons” that people were arrested for were, with very few exceptions, the normal accessories of a demonstrator: signs on sticks, masks and scarves. Raguso describes the right-wing march as a “No on Marxism” event, but fails to report that the reason hundreds of people gathered to oppose it was because — with even the most basic research — you find it was organized by extreme right-wing, white supremacist, xenophobic, misogynist, queer and transphobic, islamophobic and anti-semitic groups who have sometimes called for genocide.
I was present at the Berkeley City Council meeting on 9/25. At the end of the meeting I moved forward to try and speak with a councilperson, and so was standing by the table where Emilie was working on her computer. I saw and heard the interaction that Raguso complains about in her piece (indeed, my voice can be heard in the background of her recording). I did not see Sara touch Raguso, and I reject the claim that Sara acted in a bullying or threatening manner. What I heard and saw was exactly what listening to the recording confirms: Sara legitimately challenging Emilie on the racism in her articles. It is a common reaction for white people, even well-meaning white people, to claim that they feel threatened or bullied when challenged for their racism. Calling people who challenge racism “threatening” or “divisive” is a way of avoiding accountability and betrays our responsibility to work together to transform racism.
I have worked with Sara against police militarization, on homeless issues, and on supporting justice and equality, including human rights for Palestinians. Sara has been a resident of Berkeley for over 25 years. She has a long history of work and a demonstrated commitment to justice for all, addressing intimate and community violence, public health, and anti-racism. She never fails to speak out against injustice even when it is unpopular to do so. I’ve seen her be attacked by white supremacists, police, and conservative reporters for taking these stands so unfortunately this is nothing new.
Why do anti-racist activists continue to be arrested, denied full rights to speak and assemble, and smeared publicly for speaking our outrage, while the police and our local press intentionally or inadvertently support white supremacists and their politics of hate? Berkeleyside readers deserve better.
