Conservatives attacked on campus: Sucker-punched at UC Berkeley; Tulane U. dorm room door set on fire

On March 1, 2019, Zachary Greenberg, 28, was identified and arrested by UC Police — law enforcement booked him into jail at 1 PM. He is a former employee of UC Berkeley as a lab assistant in the Psychology Department who was briefly a non-degree seeking student at UC-Berkeley. (Heavy)

(2) ARSON IN TULANE UNIVERSITY

Just after midnight on Saturday, March 25, 2019, three students set fire to the dorm room door of Tulane University sophomore, Peyton Lofton, whom university spokesman Mike Strecker “confirmed” as the president of Tulane’s chapter of the “right wing group Turning Point USA” and a member of a Libertarian organization called the Young Americans for Liberty (YAL). (WVUE Fox 8)

Fortunately, flames were quickly put out. No injuries were reported, and the door only had “minor damage.”

Strecker said the incident was caught on security cameras, and the suspects were identified as Tulane University students Robert Money, 21, and David Shelton, 20, and Brown University student Naimi Okami, 20.

All three were arrested late Saturday for aggravated arson — a crime defined by Louisiana statute as intentionally setting a fire where it is foreseeable that human life is endangered — and booked into New Orleans Justice Center jail. They appeared in court the next day, where Orleans Parish Magistrate Commissioner Robert Jonathan Friedman set their bonds at $10,000 each. As of Sunday night, it appeared all three had been released on bail.

Lofton’s roommate, Jackson Arnold, told the university’s student newspaper Tulane Hullabaloo: “I think it was probably a drunk prank. I don’t want to rule out the idea that it was politically motivated. Don’t have any proof that it is, don’t have any proof that it isn’t.” Arnold said he did not have a relationship with any of the charged individuals and doesn’t believe Lofton did either.

According to Strecker, Tulane Police are still investigating the incident, and as of Sunday night, the reason for the crime was “not yet clear.” Strecker insists there is “no indication” the act was politically motivated, despite reports Lofton was targeted for his involvement in multiple conservative groups on campus. However, Strecker said the university is taking the incident very seriously and campus police are “thoroughly investigating” it:

“Tulane University is committed to protecting the safety of all in our community and to protecting free speech on campus. Our campuses are and should remain places where ideas can be expressed free of disruption, intimidation and violence.”

In a statement released by YAL, however, Lofton called the arsonists “radical activists”. He said:

“It’s a sad day in American when radical activists are lighting dorm room doors on fire because they disagree with you politically. I’m proud of the work I’m doing on and off campus with YAL and TPUSA to bring students to the principles of the Constitution and individual liberty. This only encourages me to continue the battle to reach my classmates with the message of freedom.”

Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) claims the door was set on fire after Lofton was identified as a member of YAL online. In a tweet, Turning Point USA executive director and founder Charlie Kirk also says Lofton was “doxxed by the violent left for being a conservative.” and calls the suspects “sick and dangerous”.

Donald Trump Jr. retweeted Kirk’s post, calling the incident a “horrible crime” and asks “Wonder if the media will report this horrible crime against a campus conservative?”.

Doxxing refers to the publishing of an individual’s personal information (e.g., name, address, phone number) online, which is typically done to encourage harassment or even physical harm.

Strecker would not comment on any possible disciplinary actions that may be taken against the students involved, saying federal law prohibits universities from disclosing such matters.

(3) PRESIDENT TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER TO PROTECT FREE SPEECH

All of which finally prompted President Trump, on March 21, 2019, to sign an executive order to protect free speech on college campuses and universities, directing his cabinet agencies to tie federal grants for education and research to more aggressive enforcement of the First Amendment. (See Executive Order on Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities)

But as noted by The Daily Wire‘s Ashe Schow, the executive order was largely ignored by the mainstream media.

H/t Big Lug