Why Berkeleys free-speech double-standard is so chilling

Universities today often host radicals who glorify death, hatred, and anti-Americanism — while effectively blocking contrary views.Case in point? UC Berkeley, where a student group is set to host, on-campus by remote feed, pro-terror lunatic Mohamed Abdou — on Oct.6.Abdou’s appearance, plus a second talk the next day at Claremont Colleges, invokes the anniversary of Oct.

7, 2023 — when Hamas stormed Israel, raped dozens of women, killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story To suggest that Hamas has the moral high ground after such barbarity is ludicrous.Yet Berkeley and other universities treat the likes of Abdou — self-described as “with Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad” — as honored guests.Meanwhile, anyone speaking on campus against Hamas and Oct.

7 can expect to be heckled, harassed or worse.The double standard is especially galling at UC Berkeley — the birthplace of the free speech movement, where students in the 1960s fought campus restrictions on political speech and won.California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedInCalifornia Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, XCalifornia Post Opinion California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!California Post App: Download here!Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!Abdou, who told NYU students in April to “Be proud of your hate for America,” is embraced.But contrary and conservative voices have long been accorded the heckler’s veto: shouted down, intimidated or urged via violence to keep quiet or stay away.In 2017, Milo Yiannopoulos, David Horowitz and Ann Coulter all canceled planned speeches to conservatives at Berkeley, amid security threats.That same year, Ben Shapiro did speak at Zell...