A UC Berkeley law professor confronts a pro-Palestinian student during a backyard dinner

[Ahlevah]

Alrighty then:

A dinner for graduating law students at the University of California, Berkeley, has become the latest flashpoint over free speech and concerns about Islamophobia and antisemitism on college campuses as the war in Gaza rages on.

Video shot by a law student and shared with NBC News shows law professor Catherine Fisk trying to grab a microphone out of the hands of a Palestinian student during a protest at an invitation-only event this week.

A UC Berkeley law professor confronts a pro-Palestinian student during a backyard dinner

Catherine Fisk and her husband, law school dean Erwin Chemerinsky, asked the woman to leave their home, and when she didn't, Fisk tried to grab her microphone.

www.nbcnews.com

It’s unacceptable to put your hands on her hijab? She’d be lucky if that would be all we would do to her in Mississippi. We would ask her to leave one time, and warn her that if she didn’t she’d be arrested for trespassing. If she didn’t leave peacefully, we would then arrest her—like physically detain her, maybe tie up her hands with rope or tie-wraps if she refused to cooperate—then call the cops, file an arrest affidavit, and let them deal with her. And that would be that.

 

[j brown's body]

She doesn't have freedom of speech in someone else's home.

 

[Mr Person]

There's a bunch I'd have to pick through to be absolutely certain, but she was a trespasser before any "hands were put on" her. And what was truly grabbed was the microphone, which the "protester" refused to let go of (after refusing to leave).

It was a stunt. Manufactured. That group wanted that result. And then they started threatening the home owners. **** those "protesters".




"Free Speech" has jack shit to do with it. What has to do with that is use of the most pathetically minimal force on a tresspasser.

 

[Ahlevah]

She doesn't have freedom of speech in someone else's home.

These two professors open up their home to these graduating students and they (there seems to have been at least two) abuse the hospitality to make a political statement. Absolutely disgusting. Unfortunately, it will make law firms think twice about hiring young, politically-active Muslim or Palestinian students. Is it racist or can it be considered racial profiling? Sure, and yet it will happen.

 

[Scatty Kitty]

She was invited and the professor didn't like it? What is it referred to as again? The politics of politness? Who is allowed to be polite and when if I remember correctly.

So yeah she did something she wasn't supposed to do. But seems a bit excessive to try to force her out. She did the right thing. I'm glad for her. Make those academics and higher ups actually think and live in the real world for once.

 

[coyote505]

These two professors open up their home to these graduating students and they (there seems to have been at least two) abuse the hospitality to make a political statement. Absolutely disgusting. Unfortunately, it will make law firms think twice about hiring young, politically-active Muslim or Palestinian students. Is it racist or can it be considered racial profiling? Sure, and yet it will happen.

Disgusting, yet so common among Lefties/Palis.

 

[Allan]

She doesn't have freedom of speech in someone else's home.

Agree and the Chancellor got it right:

“I am appalled and deeply disturbed by what occurred at Dean Chemerinsky’s home last night,” the statement read in part. “While our support for Free Speech is unwavering, we cannot condone using a social occasion at a person’s private residence as a platform for protest.”

 

[Allan]

Disgusting, yet so common among Lefties/Palis.

Common?

 

[Allan]

But seems a bit excessive to try to force her out.

Private home. They have the right to get her out for any reason, or no reason.

 

[Scatty Kitty]

Private home. They have the right to get her out for any reason, or no reason.

Politics of respectability! That's what it's called. Ugh sorry that it took so long to remember.

Cool. Doesn't matter where this was. It could have been anywhere. What she did is violate the politics of respectability. Had she made the impromptu speech on something else like congrats to everyone for graduating then she would have been fine. It was the message that was the issue. To insinuate otherwise is to be disingenuous. Now for violating the politics of respectability she was assaulted. To which I say, good for her. This wasn't a private event when it's about the college. It's about violating the norms of respectability and she did it. I'm proud of her for standing up for what she believes in. It takes courage to do that. Moreso than what I have.

 

[Allan]

Politics of respectability! That's what it's called. Ugh sorry that it took so long to remember.

Cool. Doesn't matter where this was. It could have been anywhere. What she did is violate the politics of respectability. Had she made the impromptu speech on something else like congrats to everyone for graduating then she would have been fine. It was the message that was the issue. To insinuate otherwise is to be disingenuous. Now for violating the politics of respectability she was assaulted. To which I say, good for her. This wasn't a private event when it's about the college. It's about violating the norms of respectability and she did it. I'm proud of her for standing up for what she believes in. It takes courage to do that. Moreso than what I have.

The fact students attended does not nullify private property rights. As soon as she was asked to leave, and didn't, she was illegally trespassing.

 

[Scatty Kitty]

The fact students attended does not nullify private property rights. As soon as she was asked to leave, and didn't, she was illegally trespassing.

Which I already said cool. Doesn't matter. What she did isn't violate property rights. What she did was violate the politics of respectability. To say because it's property rights ends discussion on the topic, especially when we know that's not how it works in the real world. We're not arguing legality. We're arguing morality. She was well within her moral rights to do this. And I'm proud of her for taking this principled stance on the topic. I wish more people were like her.

 

[Mr Person]

Which I already said cool. Doesn't matter. What she did isn't violate property rights.

False.

 

[Scatty Kitty]

False.

False

 

[Ahlevah]

False

It’s Berkeley, California, so you may be right.

But in the parts of the country that are still sane, you don’t need a reason to evict someone from a private residence. It’s not a public accommodation, so the professors could have kicked the students out simply because they didn’t like Muslims. Once the homeowners said “Leave!” the guests would have had a legal duty to leave. And if they didn’t leave the property owners could then use physical force to make them leave, hijab or not.

 

[Ahlevah]

Politics of respectability! That's what it's called. Ugh sorry that it took so long to remember.

Would they have spat on the professors’ hospitality if they weren’t Jewish? I doubt it:

Chemerinsky said in his statement that students had circulated a poster on campus and social media with a caricature of him holding a bloody knife and fork, with the words “No dinner with Zionist Chem while Gaza starves.”

“I never thought I would see such blatant antisemitism, with an image that invokes the horrible antisemitic trope of blood libel and that attacks me for no apparent reason other than I am Jewish,” he said.

Of course, she probably is looking for a nice post-graduate job at a respected law firm, so she doesn’t want to get canceled as an antisemite. But this sounds like ever so much horse shit:

Afaneh said the boycott targeted Chemerinsky because he is a representative of the university and has influence with school officials.

Even if she has other plans for her own legal career, she just canceled an untold number of Palestinian or Muslim students who might have wanted a prestigious job with a legal partnership or even a public-sector job. They’ll need to pay their student loans by sticking to non-profits or NGOs, like community activism or legal aid.

 

[Scatty Kitty]

It’s Berkeley, California, so you may be right.

But in the parts of the country that are still sane, you don’t need a reason to evict someone from a private residence. It’s not a public accommodation, so the professors could have kicked the students out simply because they didn’t like Muslims. Once the homeowners said “Leave!” the guests would have had a legal duty to leave. And if they didn’t leave the property owners could then use physical force to make them leave, hijab or not.

No they're only allowed to use reasonable force. She wasn't threatening or harming anyone. Just giving an impromptu speech. The violence is not called for. Even then, that's not what the issue is. The issue is politics of respectability. Not property rights. Nobody is denying she broke some law. What she did however is break the politics of respectability. This was civil disobedience.

Would they have spat on the professors’ hospitality if they weren’t Jewish? I doubt it:

Blood in times of war is a common motif and symbol. Do you have evidence she was saying things before the war in Gaza?

Of course, she probably is looking for a nice post-graduate job at a respected law firm, so she doesn’t want to get canceled as an antisemite. But this sounds like ever so much horse shit:

Even if she has other plans for her own legal career, she just canceled an untold number of Palestinian or Muslim students who might have wanted a prestigious job with a legal partnership or even a public-sector job. They’ll need to pay their student loans by sticking to non-profits or NGOs, like community activism or legal aid.

It sounds like what you're saying is that it's now morally justified to retaliate against Palestinians and Muslims because of what exactly?

 

[j brown's body]

Which I already said cool. Doesn't matter. What she did isn't violate property rights. What she did was violate the politics of respectability. To say because it's property rights ends discussion on the topic, especially when we know that's not how it works in the real world. We're not arguing legality. We're arguing morality. She was well within her moral rights to do this. And I'm proud of her for taking this principled stance on the topic. I wish more people were like her.

Can't she do it from the sidewalk?

 

[Scatty Kitty]

Can't she do it from the sidewalk?

Sure and you can also protest the Tiannenman Square Massacre in China from jail but that wouldn't be very pro freedom now would it? I don't think anyone is denying she broke the law. But justifying attacking a student who hasn't been violent because she is being civilly disobedient isn't a good look either.

 

[Allan]

No they're only allowed to use reasonable force. She wasn't threatening or harming anyone. Just giving an impromptu speech. The violence is not called for. Even then, that's not what the issue is. The issue is politics of respectability. Not property rights. Nobody is denying she broke some law. What she did however is break the politics of respectability. This was civil disobedience.



Blood in times of war is a common motif and symbol. Do you have evidence she was saying things before the war in Gaza?



It sounds like what you're saying is that it's now morally justified to retaliate against Palestinians and Muslims because of what exactly?

There's a time and place for this kind of protest. Violating the rights of others in their home is not the time or place.

 

[Scatty Kitty]

There's a time and place for this kind of protest. Violating the rights of others in their home is not the time or place.

Except it wasn't their home. It was a party. Celebrating the university. Call me crazy but that doesn't sound like someone's home so much as a place where a party was held that when the party wasn't being held also happens to be a home

 

[Allan]

Except it wasn't their home. It was a party.

Better read the article again. It was their home.

 

[Scatty Kitty]

Better read the article again. It was their home.

Ah my mistake. I see where I made my mistake.

"Call me crazy but that doesn't sound like someone's home so much as a place where a party was held that when the party wasn't being held also happens to be a home"

 

[j brown's body]

Sure and you can also protest the Tiannenman Square Massacre in China from jail but that wouldn't be very pro freedom now would it? I don't think anyone is denying she broke the law. But justifying attacking a student who hasn't been violent because she is being civilly disobedient isn't a good look either.

You equate the sidewalk with jail?

 

[Scatty Kitty]

You equate the sidewalk with jail?

I equate the thread as "she broke the law so she's bad" with failing to see why she broke the law in the first place. Saying that because this was someone's home is disingenuous when it was a party... celebrating the university... that was held at a private residence. It's blurring lines that go beyond a simple black and white dichotomy.