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Protesters at the UC Berkeley School of Law disrupted a talk by an Israeli lawmaker last week, forcing him to deliver remarks remotely via Zoom, SFGATE reported.
The law school’s chapter of the Federalist Society had invited Simcha Rothman, a far-right member of Israel’s Parliament, to speak at an event Tuesday titled Restoring Democracy: The Debate Over Judicial Reform in Israel. Rothman is a key proponent of a controversial bill to give the Knesset more oversight of Israel’s judicial system.
His appearance drew backlash from supporters of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Even before the live event began, members of UnXeptable, a group of Israeli expats dedicated to preserving a democratic Israel, began arguing with Rothman in Hebrew.
“You, as a member of the Knesset … you should be ashamed of yourself for what you are doing,” UnXeptable co-founder Offir Gutelzon said, according to SFGATE. “Shame!”
Once the event officially began, pro-Palestinian supporters started shouting at Rothman. Soon, protesters on opposing sides were arguing raucously with each other, SFGATE reported. Security ushered Rothman out of the auditorium, and ticket holders were told he would answer questions later on Zoom.
The building was cleared after someone pulled a fire alarm.
Berkeley law dean Erwin Chemerinsky said that students who participated in the protests would be punished.
“It cannot be in an academic institution that we only hear those messages that aren’t shouted down,” Chemerinsky wrote. “It cannot be that we tolerate protests that disrupt events and the Law School’s functioning.”
