A man arrested for attacking a conservative student at the University of Berkeley

The University of California (UCPD) police arrested a man who allegedly attacked a conservative activist who was distributing leaflets at UC-Berkeley last month. The attack, filmed by a camera, revitalized a persistent debate on freedom of expression within the liberal college.

The UCPD arrested Zachary Greenberg around 1 pm on Friday. According to one statement, police believe that he is one of two men seen in a video showing the assault on Hayden Williams, who had distributed leaflets on February 19 in the main street of the campus.

"The UCPD will formally present the case to the Alameda County Attorney's Office to review the filing of criminal charges," campus spokeswoman Diana Harvey said in a statement released following the announcement. arrest. "Once the case has been submitted and reviewed by the district attorney's office, additional information will be provided regarding an impugned decision."

A suspect was arrested in connection with an alleged assault on February 19, 2019 against a student at the University of Berkeley. UCPD

According to the UCPD, the altercation erupted on Upper Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus. Williams was distributing leaflets for Turning Point US, a conservative coalition founded by Charlie Kirk, when two men approached him. Williams, 26, is not a student but ran a recruiting table on campus.

"A physical confrontation ensued when one of the two men pulled the victim's phone," UPPD said in a statement released in February. "The suspect then flipped the table where the victim was and the two men fought on the phone. During the incident, the suspect punched the victim several times, causing injuries to the eyes and nose. "

Kirk issued a statement following the arrest and described the video evidence as "uncontrollable".

"We hope that Zachary Greenberg, aged 28, will be prosecuted within the limits of the law for armed aggression, which should be considered an act of hate," he said. "Hope this obscure chapter will act as a warning to those who are worried about hate crimes committed for political reasons in America."

Berkeley – which prides itself on being the cradle of the "freedom of expression movement" of the 1960s – has long been a hotbed of political protest. In 2017, groups associated with white supremacist views burst into the progressive city after school officials canceled the appearances of Milo Yiannopoulos and other conservative speakers due to security concerns. students.

The subsequent demonstrations and counter-demonstrations cost the city and the school millions of dollars in damages and sometimes become violent, pushed the university into the national spotlight. The politicians pontificated on the role of growing anti-fascist movements on campus, while the school has repeatedly issued statements indicating that it is committed to freedom of speech.

In this latest episode, Carol Christ, Chancellor of Berkeley, reaffirmed the school's commitment to tolerance and inclusion.

"Make no mistake, we strongly condemn violence and harassment of any kind, for whatever reason," said Christ in a statement. "This kind of behavior is intolerable and has no place here. Our commitment to freedom of expression and belief is unwavering. "