The University of California at Berkeley has become ground zero for the fight over free speech at American universities after conservative speakers like Ann Coulter and David Horowitz were canceled, and Milo Yiannopoulos was forced off campus by violent Antifa protesters.
Kiara Robles is one Yiannopoulos supporter who won’t take the suppression of free speech lying down. She filed a $23 million lawsuit on Monday against UC Berkeley, the school’s Chancellor Nicholas Dirks, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), activist billionaire George Soros, UC President Janet Napolitano, UC Regents board member Monica Lozano, Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin, and the Berkeley Police Department over civil rights and First Amendment violations, reported The Los Angeles Times.
The 26-year old planned on attending Yiannopoulos’ speech, but within 15 minutes of arriving violence broke out. She ended up getting pepper sprayed during an interview with a KGO-TV news station reporter.
My friend was giving an interview when some coward peppersprayed her #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/CDpEqDsw2A
— janey ? (@janeygak) February 2, 2017
In an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle, Robles said she was unsure what she would get from the lawsuit but believed it was “the civil way to respond to injustice.”
“I believe that we’re all responsible, some obviously more than others,” she said to a question as to why she was naming Soros and Pelosi in the lawsuit. “But the identity politics of the Left is so damaging to everyone involved. Social justice warriors prey on the weak and make them weaker. They tell people who are struggling that there is nothing they can do, it’s not their fault, then they bribe them with other people’s tax dollars. The Left turns people into victims and their politicians walk away from the victors.”
“People need to condemn violence on all sides, instead our politicians are openly supporting the ‘resistance movement,’ and organizing political violence under the guise of non-profits. I’m anti-police brutality, anti-antifa, pro-civility, and pro-self defense,” she continued. “I would never promote hate or violence for my political agenda. Can Nancy Pelosi say the same?”
Despite being attacked at Berkeley, Robles said it hasn’t scared her away from attending more pro-free speech events, including the one Yiannopoulos is planning for later this year.
“I would love to support that. The free speech week Milo is planning is important, the conduct there will be a fair measure of our progress toward civility,” Robles said to Red Alert Politics. “I have high expectations.”
She said that she also continues to support Yiannopoulos, “I’m a gay conservative, Milo is an even a gayer conservative, I am a fan of effectiveness, and Milo is effective.”
Robles hopes to be part of the effective, but civil debate over free speech on college campuses. She said she hopes to see more debate over ideas between liberals and conservatives.
“I’d love to debate any one of the UC Berkeley students or faculty on their social justice causes,” she said. “If you know any, tell them they can reach out to me personally.”
