A pro-Palestine group at UC Berkeley is hosting an event featuring Mohamed Abdou, a former Columbia professor and Hamas sympathizer, via Zoom. The event is scheduled to take place on the eve of the anniversary of the October 7 attacks.
What happened
Abdou was fired from Columbia University after writing on social media that he was "with Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad" just days after the October 7 attacks. He has also made anti-American and pro-jihad comments, including encouraging students to seek martyrdom and stating that they should be proud of their hate for America.
The UC Berkeley event, titled "1492: From Palestine to Turtle Island," is part of Abdou's "Death to the Akademy" tour. The university has confirmed that Abdou will appear via Zoom, but emphasized that he is not physically visiting the campus. A spokesperson for the university stated that the event will not be cancelled "based on fears or expectations of what might be expressed."
The group organizing the event, UC Berkeley Students for Justice in Palestine, has said that any attempts to police its speech are futile. The group stated that it will not be deterred from hosting the event, which it believes is important for connecting the struggles of Palestinian liberation with those of indigenous sovereignty and Black self-determination.
