Loni Hancock, former State Senator and former two-term mayor of Berkeley, wrote an op-ed for the SF Chronicle in February that we thought members would find helpful.

She strongly defended free speech and assembly rights.  “People should be able to express their views, no matter how unsettling–and those who disagree with them should be able to express their disagreement without fear. Both those basic rights are under attack by …masked provocateurs…–provocateurs are not protesters.”

She urged all of us to work together: police, policymakers, press, demonstration organizers, especially through “march monitors” and, of course, all of us–the people.

The full article can be read here.