UC Berkeley claims that they “are committed to ensuring freedom of expression and dialogue that elicits the full spectrum of views held by our varied communities.” Yet by escalating police presence, increasing surveillance, and refusal to protect and address harassment against students, UC Berkeley has created an environment that suppresses protected speech and disproportionately punishes those advocating for Palestinian human rights. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has evaluated UC Berkeley in its 2025 College Free Speech Rankings, awarding it an alarming overall score of 34.22. This low score places UC Berkeley at #225 out of 254 institutions, reflecting a severe failure to foster an environment supportive of free speech and student activism.
UC Berkeley’s institutional hypocrisy and crackdown when it comes to anti-genocide speech have been made apparent through their use of police force and increased surveillance. In May 2024, community members, including one student, were reportedly arrested following their protest for Palestinian rights. When community members engaged in peaceful protest by occupying an abandoned and vacant building on campus, UC Berkeley responded with a mass police force and the arrest of protestors. In October 2024, UC Berkeley police reportedly tore down a Gaza solidarity sukkah built by Jewish Voice for Peace at Sather Gate, calling it “unauthorized” and dismantling it within hours, erasing both a sacred religious space and a powerful expression of solidarity. Its removal not only infringed on freedom of religion but also was a clear act of discrimination against Jewish students, especially those who dared to speak up for Palestinian rights.
In the same month that the Gaza solidarity sukkah was removed, UC Berkeley’s Division of Student Affairs reportedly sent an email to faculty and staff recruiting them to serve as “campus observers” and “peace ambassadors” to surveil anti-genocide protests. Framed as a neutral safety measure, this move expanded administrative surveillance and collaboration with police. Truthfully, it is a tactic for the university to intimidate and monitor those who speak out for Palestinian rights. UC Berkeley’s aggressive crackdown on anti-genocide peaceful protests that have especially escalated this past year reveals a complete disregard for student safety.
According to CAIR-California’s 2024 report, 85% of Muslim students at Berkeley reportedly experienced Islamophobic harassment—the highest percentage among all 87 campuses surveyed in the state. Additionally, 88% of Muslim students reportedly feel targeted by peers due to their religious identity, compared to a state average of 53%. Most alarmingly, 71% reportedly feel unfairly singled out by professors and instructors, nearly double the state average of 37%. UC Berkeley’s failure to discipline faculty, respond to credible threats, and protect students from an openly hostile climate makes clear that harassment against Muslim and anti-genocide students is not just ignored but enabled by UC Berkeley.
Despite UC Berkeley’s claims to support dialogue and inclusion, the university has failed to take any action on reports of harassment, discrimination, and Islamophobia targeting Palestinian and Muslim students. In April 2024, a UC Berkeley Law student was reportedly physically assaulted at a law school dinner hosted by Dean Chemerinsky. As seen in a video, UC Berkeley Law Professor Catherine Fisk, Dean Chemerinsky’s wife, grabbed the student and tried to take the student’s microphone. Though the university reportedly opened an investigation after public outcry, no decision has been released, further proving that when it comes to anti-genocide voices, even physical assault is met with silence.
In March 2025, Berkeley Law professor Jonathan Gould reportedly confronted a Palestinian law student, Zaid Yousef, over his clothing depicting Palestinian cultural symbols, including a watermelon. Students reported that Gould compared the imagery to the Confederate flag, left the classroom, and withdrew from teaching the course the next day. UC Berkeley took no action to hold faculty accountable or offer restorative support to the students targeted, sending a chilling message that Palestinian identity is neither safe nor protected on its campus.
UC Berkeley’s ongoing failure to protect Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab students from harassment and discrimination is part of a deeply embedded culture of institutional neglect and bias. In Fall 2024, campus staff accidentally cc’d members of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) on an internal email debating whether to allow them access to a prayer space, exposing a staff member’s comment that they “didn’t want anything to do with them [Muslims].” In each case, Berkeley’s administration remained silent, choosing complicity over student safety. UC Berkeley is not a neutral actor—it is actively complicit in maintaining a system of repression and discrimination against those who speak out against genocide.
UC Berkeley’s updated free speech policies are a direct attack on student activism, especially targeting students protesting for Palestinian rights. In fall 2024, UC Berkeley has rapidly updated its free speech policies, not to expand protections, but to impose new restrictions aimed at neutralizing Palestinian human rights activism. The university enacted sudden bans on tents, masks, and amplified sound shortly after students began organizing Gaza solidarity encampments, marking a sharp departure from its historically permissive stance on protest. While framed as neutral “time, place, and manner” regulations, these policies target and discriminate against anti-genocide students.
Despite UC Berkeley’s celebrated legacy as the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement, its repression of anti-genocide speech is not new. Long before 2023, the university demonstrated a pattern of silencing Palestinian voices. In 2016, reportedly, UC Berkeley abruptly suspended a student-led course titled “Palestine: A Settler Colonial Analysis” just one week after it began. This censorship sent a clear message: when Palestinian students and allies attempt to center Palestine, UC Berkeley is willing to override academic freedom.
UC Berkeley has repeatedly failed to protect Palestinian, Muslim, and allied students from harassment, targeted policing, and censorship. From surveillance and faculty misconduct to the selective enforcement of speech policies, the university has created a climate of fear and repression for those who speak out for Palestinian rights. Therefore, UC Berkeley meets CAIR’s criteria and warrants designation as a “Hostile Campus.”