UC Berkeeley Law Professor's Interruption Of Pro-Palestinian Speech Sparks Investigation

By Tommy Wilson | Monday, 06 May 2024 01:00 AM
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UC Berkeeley Law Professor's Interruption Of Pro-Palestinian Speech Sparks Investigation
Image Credit : India Today

The University of California Berkeley has initiated an investigation into the conduct of a law professor, Catherine Fisk, following an incident at a private event that was caught on video and subsequently circulated online.

The video shows Fisk, a civil rights law professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, interrupting a pro-Palestinian student's speech about the war in Gaza, as reported by NBC News.

The incident took place on April 9, during a private event hosted by Fisk and her husband in their backyard. Malak Afaneh, a law student, was speaking about the Muslim holiday of Ramadan and the war in Gaza when Fisk took the microphone from her and asked her to leave. Afaneh later lodged a complaint with the university, alleging discrimination.

The university's Office of Civil Rights confirmed the investigation in a document addressed to Afaneh. The document stated, "It was reported that on April 9, 2024, during a dinner for UC Berkeley Law School students, held at Respondent’s off-campus residence, Respondent physically grabbed you, attempted to forcibly take your cell phone and microphone from your hand, and asked you to leave a University event when you began to speak in support of Palestine and about Ramadan."

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Afaneh has described the incident as a clear example of Islamophobia, asserting that Fisk's actions were motivated by her pro-Palestinian stance. However, a subsequent video shows Fisk telling Afaneh, "We agree with you about what’s going on in Palestine."

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Erwin Chemerinsky, Fisk's husband, who is also Jewish, has labeled the incident as "ugly and divisive."

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Afaneh is a leading figure in a university encampment protesting the school's ties with Israel. In an interview with Reuters reporter Dylan Bouscher, Afaneh stated that the protesters are demanding that the university "end their silence" and call for an end to "Israel’s genocidal campaign." They are also calling for the university to divest financially from businesses linked to Israel.

Protests have been taking place across the country, with many schools arresting hundreds of students in an attempt to disperse encampments that have occupied campuses for weeks.

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