CAIR’s San Francisco Bay Area chapter designated UC Berkeley a hostile campus for Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian students and faculty criticizing Israel’s military actions in Gaza, citing intimidation, surveillance, and punishment. CAIR demanded an end to selective enforcement, investigations of misconduct, and guarantees that Palestinian, Muslim, and allied students can learn and speak without fear. UC Berkeley said it is committed to free speech and confronting discrimination, supports community belonging, and consults the campus Advisory Committee on Muslim and Palestinian Student Life. During spring 2024, pro-Palestinian protesters erected an encampment demanding divestment; some Jewish students reported feeling unsafe. Administrators and protesters reached a deal and the encampment was dismantled.
Zahra Billoo, the executive director of the council's San Francisco Bay Area chapter, said in a statement that UC Berkeley cannot claim a free-speech legacy while students are intimidated, surveilled, or punished for speaking about Palestinian freedom. The university must end selective enforcement, investigate misconduct, and ensure Palestinian, Muslim, and allied students can learn and speak without fear, Billoo added.
In a statement Tuesday, UC Berkeley said it is committed both to free speech and to confronting discrimination. The campus is dedicated to supporting a community where all can thrive and feel a true sense of belonging without regard for their identities, origins, or beliefs. Berkeley's leadership works closely with the members of the campus's Advisory Committee on Muslim and Palestinian Student Life in order to understand and address those communities' needs and interests, the campus added.
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