NEW YORK Horrific events like Sunday’s mass shooting in Las Vegas—which left nearly 60 attendees at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival dead and hundreds of others injured—are the stuff of an event professional’s nightmares. While such incidents have become more frequent, the safety and security of event attendees sometimes is taken for granted.
Security expert Todd Madison has suggestions for changing that. The former Secret Service agent knows about guarding against danger; he served as special agent in charge of protecting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her presidential run last year.
Now associate managing director of the private client services practice at K2 Intelligence, a security firm where former N.Y.P.D. Commissioner Ray Kelly is vice chairman, Madison spoke with BizBash about how planners can keep their events incident-free yet comfortable for guests.
Is what happened in Las Vegas an event security issue, or is it beyond that?
There always are risks in our everyday lives, but people shouldn’t take this as a reason not to do anything. They just have to prepare to communicate with each other.
Do planners have to include these worst-case scenarios when planning an event? Is that the new normal?
That should be continual in managing events. You always need an emergency action plan, not just in cases like this, but look at medical situations, or environmental issues like if someone smells gas or there’s a fire. As an event organizer you want to be able to tell people what to do and where to go. You can control the situation, but if you expect to just wave a wand and for things to be fine, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
What would you tell event organizers to look for—and to ask of—their venues, both for indoor and outdoor events?
Open the lines of communication prior to an event and engage with the event management team at the facility. Speak with the in-house staff about emergency plans and preparedness, which can be communicated back to the event planner’s people.
Ask questions about how to manage people entering the event. Also, create a check-in table for invited guests and have it away from the main entrance; distance is your friend. If you allow unknowns to get close to the event, you’re putting guests in a vulnerable situation. You want to be aware of other access points and be sure the venue can provide security. If not, seek out a security consulting company that’s well versed in issues that might arise, security protocols, concerns in the area, etc. They can detect nefarious activity, which gives you a road to success.
What are some fixes to problems that may arise which event planners can make before an event starts?
You need staff to walk up and down the line to get in, talking to people and making sure everyone is orderly. Then, that person needs a way to communicate, like a walkie-talkie, and if someone’s acting odd, the staff member or volunteer needs to know procedures for what to do next.
Also, connect with local and federal law enforcement officials so that they know about your event and if there is something to watch out for, like a controversial speaker or attendee, they are prepared. And if the police or others have information about a hate crime happening in the area, then they can plan for providing security to your event in a certain way.
But what’s the balance between having visible security, like guards or metal detectors, and scaring guests or placing an undue burden on them?
Think of a dart board, starting with the outside: the training during the countdown to a meeting, when things are being delivered and everyone is involved, that’s the first part of the process and it’s a relaxed time to monitor what’s going on. Then while on site, there needs to be vigilance, but you don’t have to tackle someone if something is wrong. It’s a matter of seeing something and saying something to the command center, or the inner ring.
What would you advise event planners tell potential event attendees regarding event security concerns?
Provide them with information and look for ways to make them comfortable. If you want to put security in place, make sure guests are fine with it. Put in layers of security that aren’t so noticeable and try to make the monitoring of activity as seamless as possible. You want to prepare guests so there are no surprises, but there’s no reason to scare them. Event and venue staff and law enforcement officers are the ones who’ll look out for the actual plan, where the exits are, etc. You want to take that concern away and have guests enjoy the event.
Recent terror attacks are stark reminders that the event and tourism industry needs to tighten security considerably when it comes to public access.
Since the awful events witnessed in Manchester and London, the U.K. has seen an increase in armed police on guard across the country, with hotpots being airports, train, bus and tube stations, as well as events and venues both large and small. And while this rise in police presence might go some way to deter individuals from carrying out random attacks, the reality is that it will do nothing to prevent the fatal and lasting damage that these attacks can have.
The same can be said for security at events; since the increase in terror attacks, there have been limited entry points, more stringent bag and personal security checks, and, in some venues, the size of bags that can enter arenas has been restricted.
For example, at the SSE Hydro and Armadillo venues in Scotland, only bags up to 35-by-40-cm will be permitted, and larger bags will be searched again before being checked into a cloakroom. Other security strategies across the globe include introducing metal detectors at entry points and search dogs to monitor queues. Of course, being extra-vigilant plays a critical role in keeping attendees safe, it’s crucial that security and event staff are educated to be able to spot the signs that indicate suspicious behavior.
While British intelligence is regarded as some of the best in the world, the issue that venues and event organizers are now facing is the “lone wolf” attack, which we have seen increasingly. Although intelligence agents are closely monitoring terrorist networks, these individuals are often not integrated into them. And since many messaging apps have now introduced end-to-end encryption, these kinds of attacks are becoming harder to anticipate. This means the sad fact is event organizers must plan for every eventuality.
Another problem that we are facing from a security aspect, is the way that attacks are changing and, simply put, previous security methods and products are not adequate. Event security has a legacy of preventing individuals and weapons from entering the space. But now, perpetrators are either not attempting to enter the space (they are waiting for people to exit) or they are targeting those who simply happen to be around the space.
We should now be focusing our efforts on protecting the perimeter at events and venues from hostile attacks. We are currently facing a growing trend in vehicles being used to inflict maximum harm, with seven incidents occurring in Europe alone in the last twelve months. Terror groups are actively encouraging supporters to use cars as weapons and even provide instructions on how to cause the most amount of damage.
After the London Bridge attack in June, London metropolitan police commissioner Cressida Dick declared that vehicle barriers were to be installed across London. However, so far, this has been in the form of concrete blocks that, when tested, were found to do little to prevent attacks of certain speeds and vehicles, proving that they are not successful method to protect lives in such instances.
Luckily, perimeter security is an area that is seeing a huge amount of growth and development. Although my company has an extensive history in military protection, we needed to create a product that was suitable for protecting the public from the new wave of attacks in urban environments. Our Terrablock event security barriers can withstand impact from a vehicle travelling at 50 mph by using a patented energy-displacement technology, protecting attendees from both hostile attacks and intruders.
Unfortunately, new attacks are presenting themselves every day, as we move forward in this new era, event organizers and venues must strive to be proactive in minimizing damage, rather than reactionary when it comes to the new wave of hostile attacks the world is experiencing. We have reached our limit when it comes to the old British adage of “keep calm and carry on.”
Now is the time to embrace the innovative security solutions that are being produced–you cannot put a price on public safety.
Adam Wilding-Webb is the high-security product director at Hesco. He is based in Leeds, England.
Las Vegas Police say at least 50 people were killed and more than 400 were wounded when at least one gunman opened fire on concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival near the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Las Vegas Boulevard.
The shooter, identified by NBC News as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, was firing from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel at the festival. Officers responded to that hotel room and engaged the suspect, killing him. They do not believe at this time that there were any other shooters, despite reports of multiple gunmen. Police said they do not have an accurate number of victims yet. Police have not yet released a motive, but said they do not believe it is terrorism “at this point.”
The concert festival was taking place in an outdoor area across from the Mandalay Bay and Luxor casinos. A video taken by someone at the concert shows the moment when gunfire erupted, with several shots fired in rapid succession:
Photos and videos from the concert festival also showed multiple victims, including people on the ground, bleeding. The shooting was first reported about 10 p.m. local time. The scene remained active at 1 a.m. and people were being told to stay away. Las Vegas Police said it is an “active investigation.”
Active shooters at Mandalay Bay/Route 91 with automatic weapons & people down. Stay away from the Vegas strip! pic.twitter.com/81D6GEEInu
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman tweeted, “Pray for Las Vegas. Thank you to all our first responders out there now.”
The victims have not been identified. They include two police officers who were on duty and were shot, police said. One is in critical condition. Other police officers who were off duty were shot and killed at the concert, Sheriff Joe Lombardo said.
This is a developing story. Here is what we know so far:
1. The Gunman Has Been Identified as a ‘Local Individual’ & Police Are Searching for a Woman Associated With Him
At least one suspect was reported to be “down” inside a room at the Mandalay Bay, police said. Police said the shooter is a “local individual” who was firing from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel just outside the concert area. He was killed inside the hotel room after a police SWAT team used an explosive breach to blow open the door and then engaged with him.
Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, has lived on Babbling Brook Court in Mesquite, Nevada, since June 2016. He previously lived in Reno, Nevada, from 2011 to 2016, and also had an address in Melbourne, Florida, from 2013 to 2015. He has also lived in Henderson, Nevada, and several locations in California since 1990.
Sheriff Joe Lombardo, when asked by a reporter if it was an “act of terrorism,” said “no, not at this point. We believe it was a local individual. He resides here locally. I’m not at liberty to give you his place of residence yet, because it’s an ongoing investigation, we don’t know what his belief system was at this time. … Right now we believe he is the sole aggressor at this point and the scene is static.”
Police werealso looking for a “person of interest,” a 4’11” Asian woman named Marilou Danley. She was described as a “companion” of the shooter. A photo of her can be seen below:
Police said Danley, 62, lived with the shooter in Mesquite. Public records show she lived at the same address as him since January 2017. CNN reports that she has been cleared of any involvement. Police have also not said if she was seen with the suspect at the Mandalay Bay hotel or elsewhere prior to the shooting, as some reports have indicated.
“Marilou Danley is no longer being sought out as a person of interest,” the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told CNN. “LVMPD detectives have made contact with her and do not believe she is involved with the shooting on the strip.”
Marilou Danley’s Facebook profile reads, “Proud mom and grandma who lives life to the fullest.” Her last public post was an update of her profile picture in August. She had posted numerous photos of herself. Friends commented on her looks, and she wrote under one, “Thanks …That was taken at Wiltshire Roof Top Restaurant in L.A.” In 2016, she wrote in the comment thread under a photo, “…Kuha Sa Jumeira Beach, Dubai.”
She says on her Linkedin profile that she has worked at a casino in the past. She has also lived in Sparks and Reno, Nevada, along with Canton, Ohio; Springdale, Arkansas; and Memphis, Tennessee, according to public records.
Earlier scanner traffic indicated that police may have gotten Danley’s name, at least in part, from a credit/debit card left in the Mandalay Bay hotel room by the main suspect.
“We have not located her at this time and we are interested in talking to her for followup,” Lombardo said at a press conference. Police are also looking for two vehicles with Nevada plates, a Hyundai Tucson with license plate number 114B40 and a Chrysler Pacifica Touring with plate number 19D401. They are registered to the gunman.
Officers were obtaining warrants to search the home where the gunman lived. Police said the person of interest lived with him.
Terrifying.
Woman celebrating 21st birthday was in front row. Says another woman came during show & told everyone they were going to die. pic.twitter.com/kwe00GMmqR
A woman who was at the concert told a local news station that a “lady pushed her way forward in the concert venue. And she started messing with another lady and told us that we are all going to die tonight. … It was about 45 minutes the shots were actually fired. But then she was escorted out by security.”
Lombardo said “We are comfortable that the primary aggressor in this event has expired or passed away and is no longer a threat.”
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2. Country Singer Jason Aldean Raced Off Stage as Gunshots Rang Out During the Route 91 Concert Festival
About 40,000 fans were in the fairgrounds area, where there were multiple stages and other areas set up for the festival, according to The Associated Press. Concertgoer Kodiak Yazzi, 36, told the AP that the music stopped temporarily after a sound that was like a firecracker. It then started up again before another round of pops sent performers ducking for cover and fleeing the stage, while panicked fans also rushed for the exits. Yazzi told the AP he took cover and saw flashes of light coming from the Mandalay Bay hotel tower above the concert. He said the bursts would start and stop for about five minutes.
The concert festival was in its third day. The festival’s website showed that performers Sunday night included Jake Owen and Luke Combs, along with Jason Aldean, who was set to take the stage about 9:40 p.m. ABC News reports that Aldean was on stage when the shooting occurred, but is OK. A video shows Aldean singing and playing a guitar as gunshots ring out. He briefly continues to perform, before stopping and running off the stage. You can watch the video below:
Aldean said on Instagram, “Tonight has been beyond horrific. I still dont know what to say but wanted to let everyone know that Me and my Crew are safe. My Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved tonight. It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night. #heartbroken #stopthehate.”
Country singer Jake Owen was among those at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. He tweeted, “Gun shots!!! Vegas. Pray to god. Love you guys. Love you Pearl.”
Praying for everyone here in Vegas. I witnessed the most unimaginable event tonight. We are okay. Others arent. Please pray.
Owen later tweeted, “Praying for everyone here in Vegas. I witnessed the most unimaginable event tonight. We are okay. Others arent. Please pray.”
Another musician, Luke Combs, tweeted there was an active shooter at Route 91 Harvest, a three-day country music festival being held on the Las Vegas Strip.
Active shooter at @Route91Harvest in Vegas. We're safe. Love you guys.
“Active shooter at @Route91Harvest in Vegas. We’re safe. Love you guys,” Combs said.
You can watch live coverage of the shooting here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_HTCLhEJGo
University Medical Center spokeswoman Danita Cohen told The Associated Press that 26 people were taken to that hospital. Two have since died and 12 are in critical condition, Cohen said. It is not clear how many other victims were taken to other hospitals.
Dan Bilzerian, running from shooter at concert near Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas, says “a girl just got shot in the f*cking head.” pic.twitter.com/FaS0VfeF7I
Dan Bilzerian, the professional poker player and businessman, posted a video running from the concert saying, “a girl just got shot in the f*cking head.”
Mandalay Bay issued a statement about the shooting:
Our thoughts & prayers are with the victims of last night's tragic events. We’re grateful for the immediate actions of our first responders. pic.twitter.com/Arf8edj1iZ
“Clip after clip after clip, bullets flying everywhere, people running,” the witness said. “It was really, really bad. We were the furthest VIP stages away from Mandalay Bay and they (the bullets) were ricocheting everywhere where we fear. They were firing from somewhere high and they were unloading clip after clip after clip. Multiple shooters, has to be.”
But police are indicating there was only one shooter. In chaotic active shooter situations, witnesses often report hearing or seeing multiple shooters, as sounds echo and come from different directions, and police and others are misidentified as gunmen.
Two girls who were front row at the concert -saw shooting begin – saw woman with what they say was a hole in head/not moving. #LVshootingpic.twitter.com/3NVDWEPYgf
Two women who were in the front row of the concert told Fox News’ Lauren Blanchard they heard the shooting start and saw a woman with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. She was not moving, they said. “We were at the Jason Aldean concert and everything was fine. And then we heard two pop noises and thought it was the sound system. He kept continuing like nothing was wrong and then we heard it continue and he was still going and then he fell,” one of the women said. The other woman told Blanchard, “(Aldean) dropped and ran, he just ran off the stage. And then people started dropping to the floor and we were running out.”
Another witness told ABC News, “Jason Aldean was playing and it just kind of sounded like some fireworks going off, and then I think there was the first kind of volley and then the second volley, and my buddy says ‘I got hit.’ … He got hit three times and people started diving to the ground. It was pretty much chaotic. Lots of people got hit.” The witness said his friend, who was shot three times in the chest, is going to be OK. He said another victim he was trying to help get to the hospital died in his arms.
ABC NEWS: Las Vegas shooting witness says "we watched these people getting gunned down…the air just reeked of gunpowder." pic.twitter.com/gyrTR2OwJZ
Witness Jake Freeman told ABC News he went to the rooftop lounge at the top of his hotel, overlooking the strip. “There were people drinking. Nobody had any idea what was going on. And I had a birds-eye view of the Route 91 Harvest music festival right across the street. My friend and I personally saw crowds of people running out of the festival and bodies hitting the ground. We absolutely watched these people getting gunned down from the shooter on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay. We couldn’t see the Mandalay Bay at all, the Mandalay Bay was behind us. … We did realize that they were being shots. We could hear the gunshots, coupled with what we heard, machine gun fire downstairs, we knew that it was an active shooter situation. We actually went down to the lobby to see if we could find out more.” He said when the elevator doors opened to the lobby, “the air just reeked of gunpowder. Crowds of people were running to the elevators trying to escape.”
Videos taken by concertgoers at the festival show people screaming and running as multiple gunshots can be heard. A witness says it sounded like a “machine gun.” In the video one person can be heard yelling, “get down,” while another shouts, “stay down” as shots ring out.
Police said in the initial radio dispatches that shots were fired and it sounded like it was coming from an “automatic” weapon. “We have an active shooter inside the fairgrounds,” the officer said:
See more photos and videos from the shooting here:
Read More From Heavy
Mandalay Bay Mass Shooting in Las Vegas: VIDEO & PHOTOS
4. Mandalay Bay Was Being Evacuated & Other Hotel Casinos in the Area Were Being Put on Lockdown
No official word from police but scanner traffic indicates a shooter at Mandalay Bay. Casino looks empty from as close as I could get. pic.twitter.com/4ocKgy2y13
Other hotels were also being shut down with guests barricading themselves inside rooms, according to social media reports. Officers, including several SWAT units, were searching the hotels and responding to multiple calls of reported shooters that turned out to be false, according to scanner reports.
“There has been multiple, multiple phone calls and accusations, or conjecture coming through social media that there are multiple shooters at other resorts, that has been proven to be false,” Sheriff Joe Lombardo said. “Additionally there has been accusations or beliefs there is some explosives going off. That is also fault. The only explosive in this event was from our SWAT team breaching the room.”
Those who are in lock down at casinos and other locations along the strip are being asked to stay where they are.
“I still want them to shelter in place,” Lombardo said. “They will be contacted by first responders and they will advise them when they are free to go. It is better to shelter in place than to be unaware.”
5. There Are Multiple Scenes & Police Say Possible Hoax Calls Were Being Made to Report Shots Fired at Other Locations
According to police, there are multiple shooting scenes on the Las Vegas Boulevard in the area of the Mandalay Bay casino. Police were investigating at least three locations, according to scanner reports. Multiple calls were being made reporting shots fired at several other locations in the hour after the initial calls, but people there, including police officers, were not hearing the shots. Officers believe the calls were possibly being made as a diversion.
Police were also investigating an SUV with a possible suspicious device inside on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Flights at the Las Vegas airport were being held as a precaution.
Police investigating reported shootings on Las Vegas Strip near @LASairport. Flight activity will be affected this evening; expect delays.
Police added, “Please avoid heading to the south end of the (Las Vegas) Strip. Las Vegas (Boulevard) is shut down at Tropicana, southbound past Russell (Road) at this time. … I15 Freeway is closed to traffic at this time from Tropicana to Russel Road. Again, please avoid the area.”
The FBI and ATF are also at the scene, according to reports. But they have not taken over the investigation at this time, ABC News reports.
Police have asked anyone with cell phone or other videos from the shooting to provide them to investigators. “Anybody that may have cell phone video or any type of video associated with this event that would be a benefit to the investigation, please respond to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters at 400 South Martin Luther King and we will take custody of that video. Please bring that down to the headquarters.”
Family members can go to a “family retreat area” to help locate loved ones at the headquarters. Increased security services have also been put in place.
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“We have always had a security strategy in place due to the high-caliber attendees we have at our events and conferences, but in this turbulent climate, we are refining that with more detailed security and communication strategy. Examples of some of the things we look at are making sure that strategic members of our company have a list of all people that are attending the event in case of emergency, and coordinating evacuation procedures and emergency plans with our venue and sometimes the host city.” Cathi Culbertson, vice president of event marketing and conferences, Forbes Media, Jersey City, New Jersey
“We’re seeing a lot of clients asking about R.F.I.D. technology, especially at check-in. It offers extra security because there aren’t any ‘pass-backs’ of tickets or wristbands to get into events. Plus, R.F.I.D.-encoded badges or wristbands are unique to each attendee, so it can verify their information for access control, photo ID, automated attendance scanning, and so on.” Monica Wolyniec, marketing and communications manager, Boomset, New York
“Given the concerns of today’s climate, the safety of our clients and their guests is paramount. Unfortunately, religious locations have become a target, and appropriate measures need to be taken. We also require hosts to have adequate security on kids’ parties to protect all guests and to ensure all safety of teens and minors.” Bob Conti, business partner, Ed Libby & Company Events, New York
“I had a pretty unsettling experience at a client meeting at a local venue a couple of years ago. Since the meeting included the executive HR team, they brought in an employee to let him go. Thankfully everything worked out fine, but the nature of the reasons for his dismissal could have made it a very risky situation. It certainly made me realize how important it is that our client host and high-level attendees know that their decisions and actions can affect the security of their meeting. It’s become a talking point in my client risk-management briefing now—not that we want to be nosy, but just for them to keep in mind that if something like this example were required, the annual meeting is not the appropriate setting.” Heather Herrig, principal, Every Last Detail, Atlanta
“We offer clients the option of doing bag checks and metal detectors at the doors. We work with corporate clients with events open to the public, so some clients prefer this option and others pass on it. We always do a briefing with the venues and security team on security procedures as well.” Karen Hartline, C.E.O., Reinventing Events, Las Vegas
“Our security strategy is very different depending on the type of live experience we are producing. For example, if it is a public event—like when we recently did a Times Square takeover with Cosmopolitan and Bare Minerals Beauty—we work with multiple city agencies and permitting offices to create a very tight security plan. However, when we produced a private 40-person press dinner for luxury timepiece makers Patek Phillipe in a private gallery that featured collectible automobiles, we needed security so no one damaged the vehicles. We also needed security to accompany the rare timepieces. They were very subdued, in the background, and not imposing since it was a contained, private event.” Cara Kleinhaut, partner and C.E.O., Agenc, Los Angeles
In what is a truly stunning response to the appearance of a single speaker who simply espouses mainstream conservative views, the University of California Berkeley announced on Thursday the security measures it is putting in place for Daily Wire editor-in-chief Ben Shapiro’s speech on September 14 (tickets available here). The extensive list of extreme measures the university feels it must enact just to ensure that violence does not break out from the social justice and Antifa crowd is yet more evidence of how severe the left’s war on free speech on campuses has become.
In a campus-wide email on Thursday, Berkeley’s Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Paul Alivisatos detailed the steps the university is taking in order to try to keep things on the campus from devolving into chaos because a conservative speaker is speaking to to a few hundred students for a couple of hours in an auditorium. Repeatedly citing the university’s supposed “commitment to free speech” as well as its “Principles of Community, including respect for the dignity of all members of our UC Berkeley community,” Provost Alivisatos explains that the university has to take extraordinary security steps because of the “unusual challenges” posed by Shapiro’s presence on campus.
“Our commitment to free speech, as well as to the law, mandates that the students who invited Shapiro be able to host their event for those who wish to hear him speak,” the provost explains. “Our commitment to the principles of community mandates that all students, faculty, and staff be able to be present on campus, engaging in their regular academic activities without fear. Achieving this poses unusual challenges for us; this memo lays out the arrangements that we are putting in place.”
Those “arrangements” to meet the “unusual challenges” include 1) shutting down multiple buildings and parking lots to create a “closed perimeter” around Zellerbach Hall, where Shapiro is speaking; 2) providing “alternative options” for faculty, staff and students so they can try to engage “in their regular academic activities without fear” of violence erupting; 3) imposing special restrictions on tickets and IDs; and 4) offering “support and counseling services for faculty, staff and students.”
All this because a 33-year-old conservative is speaking to a few students for a few hours. This is the reality of the modern American university campus.
Here is the full text of the campus-wide announcement sent by Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Paul Alivisatos:
Dear UC Berkeley community,
This is an important time for all of us as we work together to uphold our commitment to free speech and to our Principles of Community, including respect for the dignity of all members of our UC Berkeley community. I recommend that you consider viewing Chancellor Christ’s recent Berkeley Forumspeech and the Q&A that followed.
Today I write about specific commitments we are making to support our community, as well as to share logistics and security arrangements for September 14. That evening, from 7-9 p.m., political commentator and radio talk show host Ben Shapiro will speak at Zellerbach Hall at the invitation of one of our registered student groups. Our commitment to free speech, as well as to the law, mandates that the students who invited Shapiro be able to host their event for those who wish to hear him speak. Our commitment to the principles of community mandates that all students, faculty, and staff be able to be present on campus, engaging in their regular academic activities without fear. Achieving this poses unusual challenges for us; this memo lays out the arrangements that we are putting in place.
Parking will be closed ALL DAY on September 14 at Barrow Lane Parking Spaces, Peppertree Lane Parking Spaces, North Sproul Lot, and the ASUC Garage.
Alternative options for those who work in closed buildings
We will offer as many options as possible so that students, faculty, and staff who work in buildings being closed can access alternative spaces and services. Campus colleges and schools have made spaces available to help meet these needs and to welcome those affected. A system is being set up to match those needing alternative spaces with the available spaces. Please check with your manager or faculty leader about any changes to your work or class activities on September 14. I encourage managers and supervisors of staff, as well as faculty, to exercise discretion and flexibility as they explore alternative arrangements.
Logistics and security at Zellerbach Hall
Tickets to the Shapiro event will be available shortly, pending final decisions on logistics and ticket distribution.
Based on UCPD’s security recommendations, attendees must present a photo ID when picking up their tickets. No blocks of tickets will be made available to individuals or groups.
As is standard practice, prior to the event UCPD will provide a list of prohibited items. Our police will seek to deter and confront unlawful behavior, while strictly enforcing laws and policies regarding individuals wearing masks or carrying weapons of any sort.
Members of the campus community are encouraged to subscribe to Nixle to receive security updates.
An increased and highly visible police presence will be on campus on September 14.
Engage with respect and keep safe
Some may wish to attend the event and hear the speaker to form their own views. Others may wish to stay away. Some may wish to protest. All activities can be done peacefully and with respect. If you choose to protest, please seek ways to protest peacefully and safely while observing rules related to the student code of conduct and our Principles of Community. If events escalate around you, please strongly consider leaving.
Support and counseling services for students, staff and faculty
We are deeply concerned about the impact some speakers may have on individuals’ sense of safety and belonging. No one should be made to feel threatened or harassed simply because of who they are or for what they believe. For that reason, the following support services are being offered and encouraged:
We will learn from what transpires next week and write to you again afterward with an assessment of whether these arrangements for September 14 have met our commitments. We will also explore what will be needed for future events, such as those proposed by another registered student group that involve Milo Yiannopoulos and other possible guest speakers.
Commitment to building community, fostering greater understanding of free speech issues
Much investment – human resources, financial resources, and more – is being made to enable student groups to hold events at Berkeley, even those that may include speech that is antithetical to our values. As a consequence, many on campus are calling for deep, incisive examination of our community values and what it means to uphold them.
To enable this discussion, the division of Equity and Inclusion (E&I) will revive the Campus Climate Speaker Series, which introduces powerful national voices, diverse scholars, cultural critics and activists to our collective discussion of campus climate. E&I will also launch a series of Community Affirmation and Empowerment workshops that will focus on helping our students, staff and faculty to thrive and affirm their varied, rich identities in our community, as well as our campus values.
Many activities are also being planned by academic and administrative units to affirm Berkeley’s commitment to a deep understanding of how these challenging times impact our campus’s diverse communities and climate.
Berkeley will uphold its campus values and principles of community by encouraging more speech. There is a Faculty Panel on Free Speech this Friday, September 9, and a series of Point-Counterpoint events will take place throughout the academic year. I hope you will make time to attend.
We will continue to add information and provide updates here.
Sincerely,
Paul Alivisatos, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
