Organizer Announces Cancellation Of Berkeley Right-Wing Rally

BERKELEY (AP/CBS SF) -- The organizer for Sunday's planned right-wing rally in Berkeley issued a statement Friday that the event has been canceled.

Organizer Andrea Cummings released a statement Friday afternoon urging people not to come to her "No to Marxism in America" rally in Berkeley on Sunday. She said she is concerned for the safety of the people who might come to the event.

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On Thursday, it was announced that the city of Berkeley had denied a permit for the Sunday rally, stating that the permit application was late, incomplete and didn't include critical information.

The cancellation of the Berkeley event came within hours of a similar rally planned for Saturday in San Francisco being called off.

The organizer of that rally, Joey Gibson, said earlier that he and his followers from the group Patriot Prayer would be going to the Berkeley rally instead. He also plans a news conference at a park for Saturday afternoon.

Counter-demonstrations were planned for both of the now-cancelled rallies, and city leaders worried violence would break out.

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