Freedom X has published a press release announcing their civil suit against UC-Berkeley and the City of Berkeley:
Attorneys for four injured victims of last February’s riot at the University of California, Berkeley, have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in United States District Court in San Francisco against the university, the City of Berkeley and other defendants, including two individuals believed to have been members of radical leftwing anarchist groups.
The lawsuit, Jennings vs. The Regents of the University of California, Case No. 18-0268 (USDC-CA ND), alleges the Plaintiffs were attacked by demonstrators the evening of February 1, 2017, after campus police left them trapped inside Sproul Plaza outside the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center. The Plaintiffs, who were not students at the time, had purchased tickets to attend an appearance by controversial political commentator Milo Yiannopolous at UC Berkeley’s Pauley Ballroom. Two of the Plaintiffs were beaten unconscious by black-clad, masked anarchists. One of them was beaten as he tried to flee a melee that broke out along Bancroft Way adjacent to the campus.
Protesters threw rocks and set fires during the demonstration, leading to the cancellation of his 8 p.m. show. Police failed to adequately plan for the expected violent demonstration, which caused $100,000 in property damage.
Bill Becker, president and chief counsel of FreedomX, a non-profit public interest law firm serving conservative victims of discrimination, and Shawn Steel of the Shawn Steel Law Firm, announced the lawsuit at a press conference to be held on the steps of MLK Center on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. “Our clients and other innocent bystanders were needlessly and brutally attacked after campus police surrendered to demonstrators,” Becker stated. “Police deliberately chose to ensure their own safety while leaving the public, who they are sworn to serve and protect, vulnerable to radical leftwing lawlessness. They now must answer to the public for their dereliction of duty.” Becker added that it is ironic that the leftwing demonstrators chose to commit violence in front of a building named after Martin Luther King, Jr., who we celebrate today as a champion of nonviolent protest. The lawsuit seeks a court order declaring the campus and city police as violating the Plaintiffs civil rights and permanently establishing reasonable tactical policies to deal with large demonstrations. It additionally seeks compensatory relief and other remedies.
Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2018 Time 11:00 a.m. Location: Steps of MLK Student Center, Sproul Plaza, UC Berkeley
Presenters: Bill Becker, Freedom X; Shawn Steel and Alexander Eisner, Shawn Steel
Law Firm Contact: Lisa Kim Brown at 949-551-9000
Documents: Complaint
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