Investigation of Alleged Hate Crime at UC Berkeley
Students at the University of California, Berkeley have quickly expressed their outrage over what may be a hate crime against fellow students near their campus. However, at least one professor has already taken a political stance on the situation.
The incident reportedly occurred when Berkeley students were walking near the campus on Friday. They were shot at with what appeared to be BB guns while being subjected to racial slurs. Information regarding the specifics of the slurs, the attackers, or the racial identity of the victims has not been disclosed by the police, who are seeking public assistance in their investigation.
The university’s alert system notified students about the incident on Tuesday, although the police were only informed four days afterward. They are treating the case as both a hate crime and an aggravated assault.
I mean, it’s concerning, right? Even so, Professor Berkeley Fen Chier spoke to KNTV-TV, using the opportunity to criticize the current Trump administration. “It’s a troubling time these days. There’s a lot of animosity linked to the Trump administration,” Chier remarked. “While we receive notifications about various obstructions, it’s not common to get alerts regarding hate crimes.”
Another student, Sophie Kwan, added, “You can’t take anything for granted these days. Such incidents can happen even on liberal campuses like ours.”
City Councilman Cecilia Lunapara also condemned the violence, stating, “I am outraged by these recent hate crimes in District 7. Such violence is unacceptable in our community. We need to continue fighting for neighborhoods that embrace all residents, especially the most marginalized.”
Lunapara identifies as a Mexican-American queer woman.
In response, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement expressing solidarity with the victims but provided few additional details on the incident itself. They emphasized that no one should fear for their safety in public spaces, highlighting a troubling increase in hate crimes across the country.
So, thoughts are definitely swirling about this—waiting to hear more from the university and the police as they work through the case.
