UC Berkeley protest being used as lesson for high school students in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Seniors in Jaime Schulze's American government class discussed freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. In this case many adults could learn from these college bound seniors.

"I think it's a great thing to be able to openly discuss in a relatively safe environment what your political beliefs are," said Charles Teriesi, senior.

After watching a clip from Wednesday night's violent protest at UC Berkeley the kids opened up on how they felt.

"There's an initial emotional response-- that's normal, but I think it's important for them to dig in and research to look at both sides, whether they agree or disagree, and for them to be educated and after that to make a final decision," said Schulze

Schulze explained to the class how the incident sparked reaction from many different sides; from President Trump to peaceful protesters, masked protesters, UC Berkeley, liberals, and conservatives.

"I think we have a tendency to over-simplify problems and we look at different extremes when it's really a big spectrum," said Lilly Durazo, senior.

Many protests start out as peaceful but end in violence. As a result students say the actions of a few can often reflect upon a larger group.

President Trump's policies will have a big impact on these young people so their teacher wants them to become more engaged.

"Standing firm in your own beliefs and I think we have to be more willing to understand one another and be empathetic in order to come into real progression," said Durazo.

Ms. Schulze stressed the importance of understanding all viewpoints in class.