Leaders of the University of California, Berkeley, have strongly condemned a recent protest that disrupted an event organized by Jewish students, leading to the evacuation of attendees and a speaker from Israel due to safety concerns. The university has announced the initiation of a criminal investigation into the incident.
Chancellor Carol Christ and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Benjamin Hermalin expressed their dismay, stating that the protest not only violated university rules but also undermined fundamental values. The disruption occurred when approximately 200 protesters surrounded the Zellerbach Playhouse, where the event was scheduled to take place. The demonstrators forcibly entered the building, prompting the cancellation of the event and the evacuation of participants.
The protest was reportedly related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, with tensions escalating following recent events in the region. The event targeted by the protesters was a lecture by Ran Bar-Yoshafat, an Israeli attorney and former member of the Israeli Defense Force.
Protesters were heard chanting slogans such as “Long live the intifada” and “Killers on campus,” as reported by The Daily Californian, the university's student newspaper. The group Bears for Palestine had encouraged students to disrupt the event, although they have not responded to requests for comment on the incident.
Despite efforts to enhance security by relocating the event to Zellerbach Playhouse and deploying university police, the size and aggression of the crowd made it impossible to proceed safely. The university has launched a criminal investigation and is reviewing multiple reports of alleged misconduct, including physical assaults and hate speech.
UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof confirmed that the university is treating certain incidents as potential hate crimes, given the antisemitic nature of some of the reported behavior. The investigation aims to identify the individuals involved, although many protesters were reportedly wearing masks, complicating the process.
While acknowledging the right to peaceful protest, university officials emphasized that actions interfering with the rights of others to express diverse perspectives cannot be tolerated. The university is committed to upholding its values of free expression and academic discourse while ensuring the safety and well-being of all community members.
