Berkeley Fears Speech By Ben ‘Godzilla’ Shapiro

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By Daniel J. Solomon September 14, 2017

Ben Shapiro is coming to U.C. Berkeley soon, and many on the left-wing campus are not pleased with the conservative pundit’s scheduled appearance – with protests slated and counseling services being offered to those who might be irritated by his presence.

Shapiro, the pugilistic editor of The Daily Wire, has responded with characteristic humor, comparing himself to Godzilla in a widely shared Twitter post.

Coming to Berkeley like pic.twitter.com/aHERZ5p64w

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— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) September 13, 2017

Berkeley has been a flashpoint for free speech recently, with violent protests and university administrators obstructing the right of conservatives – including Shapiro, Ann Coulter and provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos – from speaking there. Shapiro is planning to speak there to challenge the campus’ commitment to open discussion.

Shapiro, who has been smeared as a “fascist thug” and “white supremacist” by the RefuseFascism organization, is an Orthodox Jew and has been a leading target of the racist “alt-right” movement.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

Daniel J. Solomon is the former Assistant to the Editor/News Writer at the Forward. Originally from Queens, he attended Harvard as an undergraduate, where he wrote his senior thesis on French-Jewish intellectual history. He is excited to have returned to New York after his time in Massachusetts. Daniel’s passions include folk music, cycling, and pointed argument.

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