“The students overstepped the line,” says UC Regent John Pérez.
University of California regent John Perez , spoke with POLITICO about the Israel-Hamas war and antisemitism on college campuses. | Jeff Chiu/APThe fractious, sometimes violent debate over the Israel-Hamas war on college campuses has not cooled, even as the conflict enters its sixth month. College administrators have struggled to figure out the right balance between some students’ rights to free speech and others’ rights to be protected from discrimination and harassment.
That’s different than what the students ended up doing, which is going to the house, disrupting the event, refusing to leave when asked to leave, confronting and asserting a First Amendment right that I don’t believe they had at a private home and then asserting that they had legal representation to do it.
When you look at the Free Speech Movement, it was about creating the space for all debate, including debate that one disagrees with. What we’ve seen of late is something very different, which is shutting down debate. Last year, at Berkeley Law School, student groups passed a series of resolutions, essentially banning debate, saying that holders of “Zionist viewpoints” would not be allowed to come . That’s very different.
Want to read more stories like this? POLITICO Weekend delivers gripping reads, smart analysis and a bit of high-minded fun every Friday.But it goes further than that.
There are a number of California campuses, including three UC campuses — Berkeley, UCLA and San Diego — that at the moment are under investigation by the federal Department of Education in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks because of discriminatory incidents. What can you tell us about where those investigations stand?
Any regulation has to be content neutral. What I did say at the last meeting is the timing of it makes the action suspect. Had we done this a few years before, without the current tension, it would be less suspect than it is right now. Now, college campuses have free speech zones. Public buildings have places where free speech is and is not allowed.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Gov. Hobbs appoints new regent, student regent to ABORMikenzie Hammel joined the KGUN 9 team in the summer of 2023 as a multimedia reporter. She graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism with her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
Read more »
‘Forever Chemicals’: Water Supplies Throughout California Will Exceed New National LimitsThe nationwide cost to treat or replace contaminated drinking water is estimated at $1.5 billion a year. The ubiquitous chemicals, linked to cancer and other diseases, build up in people and the environment.
Read more »
‘Forever chemicals’: Water supplies throughout California will exceed new national limitsThe ubiquitous chemicals, linked to cancer and other diseases, build up in people and the environment. The cost is estimated at $1.5 billion a year.
Read more »
University of California grapples anew with free speech limits amid Israel-Hamas war turmoilDemonstrators disrupt meeting on policy to police political postings on department websites.
Read more »
University of California grapples anew with free speech limits amid Israel-Hamas war turmoilDemonstrators disrupt meeting on policy to police political postings on department websites.
Read more »
New California bill proposes lowering school speed limits to 20 mphTraffic accidents are the number one cause of death for school-aged children in California, but the state has some of the fastest school zone speeds in the country.
Read more »