Trump supporters planning to take to the streets of Berkeley

A march supporting President Trump is expected to take place in Berkeley on Saturday, and while city officials said there’s little credible evidence of a major event materializing, they are worried about what will happen if counter protesters show up. More than a quarter of the marches are expected to draw crowds of fewer than 50 people, and 12 expect more than 200 supporters to turn out, with the largest group, 563 people, saying they’ll attend in Austin, Texas, according to the Facebook event pages linked to by the “March 4 Trump” website. The Berkeley municipal code requires organizers of marches, demonstrations, assemblies and other gatherings in public places to obtain permits from the city. Some trepidation from the city is understandable given the destructiveness of protests that broke out in response to the Feb. 1 visit to the UC Berkeley campus by Yiannopoulos, the incendiary former Breitbart News editor. Yiannopoulos, who was invited to speak at the school by the Berkeley College Republicans, was forced to cancel the appearance when some people protesting the event turned violent. The protests prompted President Trump to threaten to pull federal funding from UC Berkeley. “If UC Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view - NO FEDERAL FUNDS?” the president tweeted a day after the violent Berkeley protest. Sgt. Sabrina Reich, a spokeswoman for the UC Police Department, said campus police are aware of Saturday’s march and have been in communication with the Berkeley Police Department but did not elaborate further on specific public safety plans. “The city is working together in conjunction with many organizations, police and our mayor’s office to make sure that stores on the main thoroughfare are as hardened and prepared as possible,” McDonald said. Reached by email, Black confirmed the march was taking place, but declined to answer questions about other groups involved, expected turnout, or public safety plans. Another group that promoted the event in early February, Proud Boys USA, whose members describe themselves as “Western chauvinists who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world.”