Saturday, October 29th 2005
Student mugged, beaten; crowd does nothing
UPDATE (10/31): The police log for that day has been posted. It turns out that my friend didn’t file a report, so I wasn’t able to find his name on the log. Interestingly enough, there was a suspiciously similar incident at 8:48 PM of that night. Strong arm robbery, Haviland Hall (near Memorial Glade), 6-7 black male suspects, Asian victim. So unless there was another criminal gang running around that night…
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Original reporting, for once, though I wish I didn’t have to.
Earlier this evening, one of my friends became a victim of violent crime. While on his way to the library, he was stopped by a group of around 10 African-American youths (most likely from Berkeley High). They then proceded to beat and rob him, before finally taking off. His bloodied body was lying near Doe Library until two female students who were exiting the library ran up to him and called the police. This story is terrible enough, but wait…
As this was happening, a group of around 30 students from an Asian student association were having an event (Ultimate Frisbee) on Memorial Glade, in front of the library. The crowd stopped what they were doing and proceeded to watch the crime in its entirety. No one intervened, and it is doubtful that anyone called for help. Even after the attackers left, no one went up to see if my friend was alright.
What the hell?
I hope this crime gets the attention it deserves. My only reason for posting this is to let you guys know that such a shocking incident occured, in case none of the local media finds this newsworthy enough. How could such a thing happen in the middle of our campus, in a heavily lighted and trafficked location? How could such a large group of onlookers not even have the human decency to help my friend up, let alone try and intervene before it started? What if the criminals didn’t stop where they did? Kitty Genovese anyone?
Next time you’re in a crowd, just imagine what you would want if you were the guy getting his ass beat…
How stereotypically Asian American; never get involved, never make a scene. So many Koreans call themselves Christians, but it’s such a sham. This is probably why so many guys find Asian women attractive, (quiet and submissive), and women find Asian men unattractive, (conformist, lack of individuality).
BTW, I’m Korean, but generally don’t have many Asian friends, though not by conscious choice. And I don’t consider myself a “banana” (yellow on the outside, white on the inside).
Comment by Fred — 10/29/2005 @ 6:44 am
I suppose the guy getting his ass kicked was neither asian nor black…?
Comment by Anonymous — 10/29/2005 @ 8:18 am
sometimes.. just when we feel like we have the illusion of safety, something like this happened. i’m sorry for your friend, and i’m even more sorry that that other group playing on memorial glade didn’t do anything to help. is he okay?
Comment by jane — 10/29/2005 @ 12:10 pm
Luckily, his injuries did not require hospitalization though he has some nasty scratches and bruises. And if it changes the perspective on the situation any, my friend is Asian and the two girls who helped him were too.
Comment by patr — 10/29/2005 @ 12:32 pm
That’s pretty appalling. In Germany this is a criminal offens, § 323 c Criminal Code, ‘failure to assist’. In America, the best thing to do, legally, is not intervene, since you avoid all liability: what’s morally best is another thing entirely. Maybe this is a time to change our country’s laws to get the message across?
Erik
Comment by Erik Kravets — 10/29/2005 @ 1:17 pm
I dont know if it has much to do with them being Asian but I can confirm Christian groups’ unwillingness to get involved. I am in Berkeley Students for Life, and we asked Christian groups on campus to get inolved with us and they just said “oh we dont want to get inolved in politics” or “oh we dont want to upset people in our congregation” whatever dude.
Yea if those guys really did witness the crime and didn’t help I hope the same thing happens to them so they know how it feels.
I lived in a bad neighborhood in SF and I was a victim of attempted robbery when a bunch of kids tried to mug me when I was 13. It was around 3:40pm and there were people around and they just walked by and didnt do anything.
I seriously think someoen walking late at night should have some sharp weapons with them to defend themselves in case of attack.
Comment by Yuriy Pasko — 10/29/2005 @ 5:36 pm
how did you know the suspects were from Berkeley High? your upset that no one did anything today- how about the other day, you were distraught because people came into confront the architect of torture Yoo. What are you doing now - your already on the road to the death camps with the foot stomping Nazi’s like Cheney, Rice, Colin Powell, Michael Chernoff and Bush…
The World Can’t Wait Drive out the Bush Regime
Comment by Anony — 10/29/2005 @ 10:35 pm
One minor difference is that running into a classroom screaming doesn’t actually help anyone.
Comment by Beetle — 10/29/2005 @ 11:27 pm
“the road to the death camps”
Hitler started with concentration camps to intimidate political opponenets, and euthenasia of the physically and mentally disabled. The propoganda films where one of the people said he was better off dead were very effective.
The comparisons of the Bush administration to the Nazis is just ludicrous.
Comment by Michael — 10/30/2005 @ 10:13 am
At what time of day did the attack take place?
Comment by David — 10/30/2005 @ 1:17 pm
Don’t worry no one cares about these stupid world can’t wait people, who are douchebags for interrupting classes. I’m anti-war but you people are irrational and hurting your own cause. Feel free to email me if you have problems with my characterization of you.
Asian Aemircans don’t do anything when it comes to protecting people of their own ethnicity. They refuse to take stands on issues as well that plague the Asian American community (affirmative action). When Ronald Takaki tells them to sacrifice themselves, hwoever, they start blaming themselves for the lack of underrepresentaed minorities on campus.
So yeah, the world can’t wait people are screwing up any meaningful resistance to the war.
Comment by DTI — 10/30/2005 @ 1:17 pm
Well, I can take a stand on it. Berkeley has a problem, a BIG problem with teenage and young adult black males. They loiter, threaten, annoy people, and periodically they commit violent crimes. We are not, of course, supposed to say anything about this because to notice that black males are the source of so many problems would be RACIST. Well, you know what? I don’t give a crap. It’s time for people to grow up and stop giving black thugs a pass.
Comment by Scott — 10/31/2005 @ 8:55 am
Scott I think everybody agrees that males commiting crime at Berkeley are black, its just implied without saying it. How do you propose we not give them a pass anymore?
Comment by Yuriy Pasko — 10/31/2005 @ 10:27 am
By not being afraid to call on black “leaders” in Berkeley to do something about it. Why is violence so endemic in their community? Why are so many young blacks openly and viciously racist in their attitudes toward Asians and whites? Why do so many blacks here think that any criticism of their behavior is unacceptable from non-blacks? Why are blacks who attack whites and Asians not prosecuted for hate crimes? These are serious issues, and they need to be addressed here.
Comment by Scott — 10/31/2005 @ 12:25 pm
[…] california patriot blog » Student mugged, beaten; crowd does nothing Tragic. (tags: berkeley calberkeley crime) […]
Pingback by Jackson West’s Obsessive Compulsion » links for 2005-10-31 — 10/31/2005 @ 1:46 pm
Scott, I believe the only solution to this problem is knowing self defense, being vigiliant, and in case of berkeley investing more in police on campus. I also believe racial profiling is necessary no matter what county you’re in.
Calling on black leaders is not likely to help because they simply will claim no authority over whomever is commiting the crimes, nor do I think they would be effective if they said something about. Also them stopping the negative rhetoric about whites or asians won’t help stop the crime. That is because majority of experienced robbers come to Berkeley from nearby cities like Oakland. They know nothing of campus activists nor do they care.
But I do agree that reverse racism exists and that hate crime can go both ways and it is indeed something that needs to be addressed.
Comment by Yuriy Pasko — 10/31/2005 @ 2:08 pm
The rat packs are
Berkeley’s dirty little secret, maybe now that the BPD can map crime data we can ask them to geocde assaults committed by youth groups. But I can guess where the hotspots are.
My son was 13 when he was stomped in the head, 30 or more people watched but did nothing. Not even protect his 9 year brother from being punched in the face. No one called the cops, my sons’friend ran home, I called the cops, when I called a second time to dispatch describing which way the preps were running, dispatch hung up on me. There has been a concerted effort to hide the truth and the amount of violence these punks do.
I spoke out about it at a CoB hate crime forum.
Cops told me privately how big the problem really is.
PC Berkeley is full of hypocrites, to their way of thinking whites and asians can’t be hate crime victims.
Comment by laura — 11/5/2005 @ 9:19 pm
One thing that people should do is add the Berkeley Campus Police emergency line to their cell phone directory: 510-642-3333.
Comment by CSears — 11/11/2005 @ 10:54 pm