Violence at Zellerbach: SafeBears calls for transparent investigation

As an organization dedicated to student safety, SafeBears is deeply alarmed by the events Monday night, February 26, 2024, at Zellerbach Playhouse, where Jewish students were forced to evacuate under police escort as a group of 200 protesters surrounded then breached the building, breaking glass windows and doors and forcing the cancelation of a scheduled lecture by an Israeli attorney and IDF reservist. Video, first hand accounts, and police radio traffic paint a disturbing picture of mob intimidation and physical violence, including a young woman who had her neck grabbed and at least one student who was spit on. 

A campus spokesperson called the protestors’ conduct “despicable.” And Chancellor Christ wrote in a message Tuesday afternoon that “we cannot allow the threat or use of force to imperil members of our community and deny them the ability to feel safe and welcome on our campus.” SafeBears wholeheartedly agrees with both statements.

What we disagree with – strongly – is the chancellor’s assertion that the university had deployed an “ample” number of police officers and could not have anticipated the size of the crowd or its willingness to engage in violence. In fact, Monday night’s violence was sadly predictable, but also preventable. A campus group had publicly called on its members to “shut down” the lecture, and protests related to the Middle East conflict had previously drawn large crowds. Yet the university failed to bolster UCPD’s scant numbers with personnel from other law enforcement agencies, as it did in support of the People’s Park closure. And police scanner audio reveals a chaotic scene with officers inadequately prepared for the violence. 

Make no mistake: the shameful events of Monday night reveal a profound failure of campus leadership. The university’s professed commitment to student safety and wellbeing, and to free speech, rings hollow when not backed up with robust safety measures, including adequate police staffing.

Chancellor Christ has pledged “to decide on the best possible path to fully understand what happened and why; to determine how we will address what occurred; and to do everything possible to preclude a repeat of what happened.” SafeBears calls on the university to be transparent in this process and to engage with students, parents and other stakeholders. We will be monitoring this situation closely.

What is happening in the Middle East right now is one of the most polarizing topics imaginable, so we want to be clear that we are calling on the university to protect all students regardless of their identities or where they stand on the issues. No student, no matter their politics, religion, ethnicity or nationality, should face violence or be made to fear for their physical safety. 

If you would like to share your concerns with the administration, please email Vice Chancellor Marc Fisher (marcfisher@berkeley.edu), UCPD Chief Yogananda Pittman (chief.of.police@berkeley.edu), and Chancellor Christ (chancellor@berkeley.edu).