Protesting UC Berkeley’s recent suspension of lecturer Peyrin Kao for pro-Palestinian speech, STEM4Palestine held a 12-hour “study-in” Wednesday in Doe Library, where about 30 participants displayed pro-Palestinian signs and Palestinian flags on library tables and their laptops.
“The directive is to put pressure on the university so that this doesn’t get lost,”said Stephen Okita, an organizer with STEM4Palestine. “We are doing mutual aid, and we are studying because everyone is stressed for finals right now, (but also) to prioritize that this is a student movement for Gaza and for Peyrin.”
The same day, several members of STEM4Palestine, including Oktia, began an “extended hunger strike” in solidarity with Gaza, according to an Instagram post from STEM4Palestine.
Okita added that the 250-calorie diet they are following reflects the daily rations Palestinians have access to. Several analyses and studies have found that Israel’s blockade of aid into Gaza has caused widespread starvation.
“(The diet is) in solidarity with the people in Gaza and to continue on Peyrin’s mission,” Okita said.
STEM4Palestine hosted a teach-in event the next day on Sproul Plaza, where speakers called for Kao’s reinstatement and for the campus to divest from weapons manufacturing.
About 50-60 people attended the teach-in, though attendance peaked during Kao’s address, which came after a “political grounding” that included an overview of the genocide in Palestine. In September, a United Nations legal analysis found that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians during its war on Gaza.
Kao spoke directly aboutUC Berkeley Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Benjamin Hermalin’s letter recommending his suspension.
“I was on my very best behavior because I knew the university was going to keep a close eye on this, and they still weren’t happy about it,” Kao said. “I think what this really shows is it’s not how we talk about Palestine that the university isn’t happy with. It’s that we’re talking about it at all.”
Other speakers led their own mini-lectures on topics such as the history of free speech at UC Berkeley, divestment and the role of tech in weapons manufacturing.
Kao also drew a connection between his name being released to President Donald Trump’s administration as part of an investigation into alleged campus antisemitism and his recent suspension, calling it “suspicious.”
“Given all of this context, I think it is entirely valid to ask the question, ‘Why was it that I was one of these names submitted to the Trump administration in September?’ And then in October through December, they’re running this investigation to suspend me based on evidence that they dug up 18 months ago?” Kao said.
At the event, organizers posted QR codes for a fundraiser, in which Kao wrote he will lose “at least $68,059 in salary and healthcare benefits” during his suspension. As of press time, the fundraiser has made more than $7,000.
However, he added that the fundraiser itself will support “the people in Gaza with the salary I would have made,” with 90% of proceeds going towards mutual aid in Gaza. The other 10% will support a hardship fund for University Council-AFT, the union that represents lecturers on campus.
“Vice Provost Hermalin needs to know that he can’t just get away with this,” Okita said.
Hana Cochinwala contributed to this report.