Berkeley

Law School Dean at UC Berkeley Faces Controversy Over Free Speech Clash at Home

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BERKELEY, California – A controversy has erupted at the University of California at Berkeley involving Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the law school, and a Muslim law student named Malak Afaneh. The incident occurred during a dinner event hosted by Chemerinsky and his wife, law professor Catherine Fisk, in their backyard. Afaneh disrupted the event to make a pro-Palestinian speech, advocating for the university to withdraw investments supporting Israel. Chemerinsky and Fisk confronted Afaneh, leading to a heated exchange that was captured on video and spread widely on social media. Chemerinsky, a renowned constitutional law … Read more

Berkeley Reaches Settlement, Putting an End to Natural Gas Ban in New Buildings

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Berkeley, California – The city of Berkeley has settled a lawsuit and agreed to put an end to its ban on natural gas in new buildings. The ban, which would have required all new construction projects to use electric power instead of natural gas, has faced opposition and legal challenges since it was initially implemented in 2019. The settlement comes after the city faced legal pressure from a group of restaurant owners and the California Restaurant Association. Under the terms of the settlement, Berkeley will rescind the ban on natural gas and will instead focus … Read more

Israeli Lawyer Defies Violent Opposition and Returns to UC Berkeley to Deliver Speech on Freedom of Speech and Discourse

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BERKELEY, Calif. — An Israeli lawyer whose speech was disrupted by a violent mob at the University of California Berkeley is scheduled to return to campus this evening. Lawyer Ran Bar-Yoshafat, a veteran of the Israeli Defense Force, will deliver a revised speech at the event, sponsored by Tikvah Students for Israel and other pro-Israel groups, according to reports. Bar-Yoshafat’s new remarks will address the protest that led to the cancellation of his original speech. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators shouted Bar-Yoshafat down, causing campus police to escort attendees out the back door of the auditorium. Bar-Yoshafat expressed … Read more

Violent Protesters Target Israeli Speaker’s Return to UC Berkeley: Who Will Take Charge, the Protesters or the University?

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Berkeley, California – Israeli lawyer Ran Bar-Yoshafat is set to return to the University of California, Berkeley after his previous appearance was disrupted by an anti-Semitic mob. The first event, organized by pro-Israel student groups and scheduled for late February, was canceled when violent protesters attacked attendees, shouting anti-Semitic slurs and physically assaulting students. Bar-Yoshafat’s upcoming speech on Monday is expected to be met with protests once again. During an interview on CNN, Eliana Johnson, the editor in chief of the Washington Free Beacon, discussed the previous incident and expressed her concern about who has … Read more