Ann Coulter announces she won't speak at Berkeley after all

After a long back-and-forth with the University of California, Berkeley, over her slated April 27 speech, conservative commentator Ann Coulter gave her final answer on Wednesday, a day before she was originally scheduled to speak. "There will be no speech," Coulter wrote in an email to Reuters.
The hubbub over Coulter's speech started last week, when Berkeley announced it was cancelling the event because of security concerns amid threats of protest. The school had been forced in February to cancel alt-right media figure Milo Yiannopoulos' appearance after violent protests erupted hours before it was scheduled to begin. Despite the uncertainty, Coulter had maintained that, nevertheless, she would persist and give her critical speech about pro-immigration policies.
Coulter's insistence that she would go ahead and speak prompted Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks to reconsider. The school later re-invited Coulter to speak, though at a more "appropriate, protectable venue" and on a later date.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But Coulter put the kibosh on giving a Berkeley speech at all Wednesday, which she declared a "sad day for free speech." Coulter credited her decision to the fact that Young America's Foundation, one of two groups helping Coulter in her legal battle to speak at Berkeley, had decided to step down due to concerns about risking "the safety of its staff or students."
"I looked over my shoulder and my allies had joined the other team," Coulter told Reuters. She also noted to The New York Times that it seemed as though "everyone who should believe in free speech fought against it or ran away."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How to create a healthy 'germier' home
Under The Radar Exposure to a broad range of microbes can enhance our immune system, especially during childhood
-
George Floyd: Did Black Lives Matter fail?
Feature The momentum for change fades as the Black Lives Matter Plaza is scrubbed clean
-
National debt: Why Congress no longer cares
Feature Rising interest rates, tariffs and Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill could sent the national debt soaring
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read