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Coulter likely to cancel Berkeley appearance: ‘It’s a sad day for free speech’

by Nikita Vladimirov - 04/26/17 12:18 PM ET

Conservative firebrand Ann Coulter says she will likely cancel her Thursday appearance at the University of California, Berkeley, over persistent security concerns.

Coulter told The New York Times on Wednesday that she felt like she was left without adequate support from law enforcement officials, who said they could guarantee her safety amid threats of violence.

{mosads}“It’s a sad day for free speech,” she told The Times. “Everyone who should believe in free speech fought against it or ran away.”

Coulter said that she would attempt to deliver a speech at a public plaza at Berkeley despite the university canceling her first planned event earlier in the month in the face of student objections.

The Young America’s Foundation and Berkeley College Republicans, who invited the conservative pundit to campus, sued the university this week over its treatment of her.

According to the Times, however, the foundation on Tuesday decided it would no longer participate.

“Young America’s Foundation will not jeopardize the safety of its staff or students,” the group said.

The uproar over Coulter comes only months after the university was put on campus-wide lockdown over protests against a planned speech from Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos. That event was also canceled.

“The left is absolutely terrified of free speech and will do literally anything to shut it down,” the alt-right leader said in February.

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