Aarya Mukherjee

Invest. Berkeley produces dropouts. This is one. 100x —> 6 months.

EDITOR’S NOTE | "The duty and purpose of our newsroom is to cover important and relevant issues within our community, and we have the right to do it in a safe way without fearing the kind of assault or retaliation that took place over the last two nights" dailycal.org/opinion/editor…

Over the past two days, the DailyCal has published around 3,500 words on Chancellor Lyons’ hearing. Read my analysis from D.C. and check the DailyCal instagram for the release of our footage: dailycal.org/news/national/…

At 10:45 a.m., Lyons delivered a carefully crafted opening statement. He began by condemning antisemitism on behalf of UC Berkeley, but proceeded to recognize campus’s simultaneous mandate to protect First Amendment speech. #lyonshearing

In Lyons’ first grilling, Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., cited faculty’s “antisemitic” extramural speech and questioned campus’s hiring practices. Lyons said it adheres to “academic standards,” not “ideological” ones. Foxx retorted, “Your academic standards have failed you” #lyonshearing

DeSaulnier also referenced the chancellor’s background at the Haas School of Business, saying it is “not a hotbed of anything but excellence.” DeSaulnier moved on to applaud UC Berkeley as “the best public university in the country, and probably the world.”

At about 11:45 a.m. EST, a pro-Palestine protester entered the room, shouting “you have blood on your hands” and “genocide in Gaza.” The protester was detained and removed from the room after less than a minute.

Lyons faced his first grilling from Kevin Kiley, R-Calif. — he repeatedly asked, “Why is there antisemitism at UC Berkeley?” Lyons said the war on Gaza could be a factor, adding, “if someone is expressing pro-Palestinian beliefs, that is not necessarily antisemitism.”

A third protester stood up behind the witnesses and began shouting in favor of Palestinian beliefs, this time directed at Lyons. They said, “Chancellor Rich Lyons, you are implicit in the genocide of Palestinians, free Palestine” before being forcibly removed.

In further questioning, Republican representatives asked about UC academic worker union UAW 4811, which has supported anti-Israel boycotts. Lyons then referenced recent UC policy against boycotts, adding that he would not support inclusion of BDS policies in contracts.

In aggressive questioning from Randy Fine, Lyons was asked why professor Ussama Makdisi was awarded the Chancellor’s Chair despite, Fine claimed, advocating for Hamas in extramural speech. Lyons said, “Makdisi is a fine scholar; he was awarded this position by his colleagues.”

Lyons struggled to respond to Republican Lisa McClain’s patronizing grilling. She sat behind a tweet from professor Ussama Makdisi seemingly supporting Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, asking, “What did he mean by that?” Lyons said he believes the tweet was “a celebration” of the attack.

BREAKING: I am in Washington where UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons just testified to the House committee on education and workforce. Check Dailycal.org for updates, full recap to come.

Things have calmed down. However, an observer was arrested and brought into the line. Individuals remain inside hand cuffed and detained.

SFPD has now announced our current position to be Unlawful Assembly. Police are pushing back the observation line with further arrests.

Things are happening fast. Police have just shot an observer with a rubber bullet and arrested them while a second arrested unconscious individual has been loaded into an ambulance.

An ambulance and medic has arrived to remove an unconscious individual who has been arrested and reportedly hit in the head with a rubber bullet.

BREAKING: WATCH. Police used overwhelming force while arresting roughly 50 individuals. They moved the police link towards onlookers whilst pushing reporters and spectators.