UC and CSU systems enact more strict policies on encampments, protests
It's back to school season in the Bay Area, including for students at University of California, Berkeley.
UC Berkeley is welcoming incoming freshman for day one of move-in week. The school expects more than 8,600 students to move into school housing by the end of the week.
"I'm excited," said freshman Gabriella Princiotta, planning to study neuroscience. "I was born up here, so I'm excited to kind of come back home."
"The Bay Area is amazing, I think I picked a good spot," said Lander Marak, a freshman on scholarship for hammer throw.
Those freshmen were finishing up high school when Pro-Palestinian protests took over college campuses all over the country.
In California, there were clashes between students and police at UC Santa Cruz, fights between protesters with different messages at UCLA and students locking themselves in buildings for days at Cal State Humboldt.
"I saw many college campuses across the United States were setting up encampments," said Marak.
Those encampments at University of California and California State University campuses are not allowed, and leaders plan to crack down on them.
Additionally, demonstrations cannot bar students from entering campuses or classrooms, and students will not be allowed to wear masks to hide their faces. Demonstrators must also reveal their identities when asked by school personnel.
Those directives came directly and separately from UC's president and CSU's chancellor. UC Berkeley's chancellor released a video on YouTube addressing the changes.
"I have received new directives from the UC office of the President regarding campus activism," said Chancellor Rich Lyons. "For me, the bottom line is that the directives are consistent with our existing practices and our most important values."
According to updates to the Time, Manner and Place policies of the two California college systems, students' rights to free speech and protests will still be honored, but the priority for the colleges is that all students have a right to learn safely.
"The CSU also has an obligation to ensure that all community members can access university property and programs, without disruption, in accordance with the highest standards of institutional integrity," said a CSU spokesperson in a statement.
"We make every effort to nurture free expression, and we provide countless opportunities and venues for our students, faculty, other academic appointees, and staff to safely and lawfully share their diverse viewpoints and beliefs. While the vast majority of protests held on our campuses are peaceful and nonviolent, some of the activities we saw this past year were not," wrote UC President Michael Drake.
"Let people speak," Marak said.
"Whatever the school decides, I think is best for the school," said Princiotta.
"I feel like everyone should have freedom of speech to have the opportunity to speak what's on your mind," said freshman Ariana Villanueva. "But obviously, without violence or vandalizing things."