A month in UC student news

ACLU claims UC Berkeley has suppressed pro-Palestine student speech 

The American Civil Liberties Union published a document on Sept. 23 alleging that dozens of universities nationwide, including UC Berkeley, have suppressed pro-Palestine speech and protests on campus. 

The report claims that several universities have had “excessive” responses to campus protests critical of Israel’s genocide of Palestine, which is recognized as a genocide by a United Nations commission. 

The executive summary of “Student Speech Under Attack: Suppression of Pro-Palestine Speech and Dissent on Campus” states that UC Berkeley has invoked the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in order to cancel pro-Palestine campus events. The IHRA’s definition of antisemitism includes “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a state of Israel is a racist endeavor” and “drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.” 

UC Berkeley renewed its consideration of the IHRA antisemitism definition in March following a settlement with the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. After the settlement, the University conducted an investigation into claims of discrimination or harassment against Jewish or Israeli individuals. Students protested the settlement, alleging that it would suppress students’ free speech. 

Governor Gavin Newsom vetoes bill requesting student feedback and transparency on campus protest protocols

California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 2551, authored by Assemblymember Sade Elhawary, on Sept. 27. The bill would have requested that UC campuses provide annual data on student code of conduct violations during protests broken down by race and gender. 

The requested reports would additionally include descriptions of the disciplinary action enforced on students. The bill was written to address reports of University suppression of pro-Palestine student protests and speech condemning the Israeli genocide of Palestine. 

Additionally, the bill requested that campuses host public forums to obtain student feedback on current time, place and manner policies that impose restrictions on when, where and how protests take place on campuses. 

In the veto message, Newsom said that UC campuses already have regularly scheduled meetings where the community can address their respective boards. Furthermore, Newsom states that the UC has established communication channels between their student associations and administration. 

“Given the numerous ways that the campus community can already provide perspective to policy leaders, it is unnecessary to require an additional forum outside these established processes,” the veto states. 

Newsom did not address the bill’s request for the breakdown of code of conduct violation data by race and gender. 

UC Davis dean and professor missing after Nepal-Tibet flood

The former UC Davis Dean of the Graduate School of Management Rao Unnava and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Management Vasu Unnava, husband and wife, are among the thousands of individuals still missing following the Nepal-Tibet flash flood in August. 

On July 1, Rao stepped down as dean to go on sabbatical leave for a year to work with the Innovation Institute for Food and Health. He was supposed to return to UC Davis as a professor of marketing in 2027. 

To celebrate his retirement, Rao and Unnava went on a trip to Mount Kailash on the border of China, after which the couple planned to spend two months in India with family. On Aug. 26, the Unnavas were staying at Hotel Kailash in Timure, Nepal when the flash flood struck through the China-Nepal border, which buried and destroyed the hotel. 

The Unnavas have not been heard from or located since the flood. Search and rescue efforts for the couple and other victims of the flood are currently underway. 

A version of this article appeared on p.2 of the Oct. 1 print edition of the Daily Nexus.