Berkeley Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky had claimed that the university couldn’t take any action against the “Jewish Free Zones” enacted by student organizations even as he admitted that they would bar 90% of Jewish speakers. “That is their First Amendment right. I find their statement offensive, but they have the right to say it. To punish these student groups, or students, for their speech would clearly violate the Constitution,” he argued.
Frontpage Magazine – Daniel Greenfield (h/t Marvin W) That was in early October. In late October, Chemerinsky responded to a truck rented by a conservative group protesting the “Jewish Free Zone” by threatening that, “we’re exploring whether there’s any action that can be taken against the Accuracy in Media for the truck.”
According to Chemerinsky and Berkeley, banning Jews is free speech, protesting the ban isn’t. Chemerinsky described the ban of 90% of Jewish speakers as merely “offensive”, but condemned a protest against it as “despicable” and “outrageous behavior.”
Adam Guillette, the president of Accuracy in Media, had decided to challenge the culture of campus antisemitism by renting a truck to name and shame the students responsible for the “Jewish Free Zones”. It’s a tactic that has been successfully used by groups fighting antisemitism like Canary Mission.
Recalling his own student days, Adam told me that, “When I attended the University of Florida we dealt with the same sort of nonsense and our campus Jewish groups wouldn’t do a thing about it.
“Most Jewish students and most Jewish student groups just want to go to class, live their life, and not be bothered. They think standing up to these bullies will only make things worse, so they remain silent and hope the problem goes away. Silence is never the correct response when dealing with bullies.”
Instead of silence, he sent a truck naming the perpetrators and declaring, “shame, shame.” And UC Berkeley responded with violence and legal threats.
A previous AIM truck protesting UC Berkeley’s antisemitism had been met with thrown rocks and condemnations by the ADL, Berkeley’s Hillel and the local JCRC. UC Berkeley administrators offered “emotional support” to students who felt upset by a truck with a picture of Hitler on it reading, “All in favor of banning Jews, raise your right hand.”
In response to the latest AIM protest truck, Adam Guillette told me that “the university called law enforcement on our truck last week. The police told our driver that he was violating a city statute and wasn’t allowed to park on the public street in a paid parking spot near the law school.”
It isn’t clear if such a regulation even exists, but what is clear is that despite his professed support for free speech, UC Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky attempted to suppress a non-violent protest against antisemitism by abusing police resources and local regulations.
“It’s a shame that Chemerinsky’s devotion to free speech extends to antisemites but not to those who combat them. It seems he’d rather see us silenced than those who wish to intimidate Jews,” the AIM president told Front Page Magazine.
Chemerinsky and UC Berkeley failed to protect Jewish students, but turned to the police to protect some of the students named by the AIM truck, like Jasmin Luz, of the Womxn of Color Collective, Jung Kim, of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, and Nicki Guivatchian, of the Middle Eastern and North African Law Students Association.”
The AIM truck had a very simple message, “Stand Up To the Ringleaders of Antisemitism at Berkeley.” Instead, UC Berkeley Law rushed to protect them while suppressing free speech. “Whatever the disagreement on issues, to put students’ names on the side of the truck was despicable,” Dean Chemerinsky fulminated.
BREAKING: We’re not letting Berkeley’s anti-Semites get away with banning Jewish speakers from campus.
We’re making sure their classmates know exactly who they are. pic.twitter.com/txyMK1DXIJ
— Accuracy In Media (@AccuracyInMedia) October 26, 2022
leoniepipe says
Since when did it become okay to be racist and discriminatory to selective groups?
UC Berkeley has a long history of antisemitism, anyway.
BareNakedIslam says
Yes they do. They’ve been far left forever.
Reader says
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/a73e7ec0-6883-479a-8b79-b7e7dbf1490a.jpg
Siddi Nasrani says
Seems to me that Nazis, Communists & Islamists are in control of ” Free Speach”
Funny that I just happen to read a headline that said,” Freedom Of Speech Must Be Curtailed To Keep Society Free in a Democracy.
The speaker was Angela Merkel, the ex-Stasi agent, Her role in was to supervise and promote Communist propaganda which was meant to brainwash her fellow students.
BareNakedIslam says
Siddi, when did she say that?
Siddi Nasrani says
28 Nov 2019
https://summit.news/2019/11/29/angela-merkel-says-freedom-of-speech-must-be-curtailed-to-keep-society-free/
BareNakedIslam says
Thanks. What an idiotic statement 😫
Whollys says
What is the western world doing to itself? All that WW2 and elsewhere for what, to be invaded everyday anyway? Stop the Islamic rubbish.
Tim h says
Don’t tell me it’s them bloody assholes scumbags lowlife pussy leftist again. Saying you can’t do that but we can
Bugsy278 says
Aaaand this is what happens when you let islam into your countries. A peaceful people, who “just want to live their lives and go to class”, are beaten down and humiliated, yet it’s reprehensible to call out and name the ringleaders of this hatred. This world is going to hell in a handbasket and the progressives and liberals think this is progress.