Gavin Newsom Enacts Legislation to Curb Gaza Demonstrations at Universities
The modifications were implemented in response to an increase in reports of antisemitism on campus following October 7.
TroibNews 
SACRAMENTO, California — On Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill mandating that public universities in California revise their codes of conduct and provide training for students on how to engage in civil protests. This legislation is a direct response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations that took place throughout the state last spring.
Under the new laws, universities will also be required to implement mandatory antidiscrimination training for students, a response rooted in concerns over a reported increase in antisemitic harassment on campuses following Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 last year. The legislation was spearheaded by Jewish lawmakers who aimed to address these rising tensions.
Both the Democratic and Republican parties in the state Legislature largely backed the proposals, despite facing opposition from pro-Palestinian activists and the ACLU. Gov. Newsom had expressed his support for updating university conduct codes even before the bill reached his desk. He traveled to Israel soon after the Oct. 7 attacks and outlined a plan to combat antisemitism in April, coinciding with the peak of university protests.
“We know that tensions are high following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas,” state Sen. Steve Glazer, the author of the code of conduct bill, told reporters earlier this year. “Even in these difficult circumstances, all students should be able to freely express themselves without threat or intimidation, especially on college campuses.”
Currently, protests have not escalated on California campuses as they did in the previous spring. University leaders have committed to not permitting pro-Palestinian encampments that were established on several campuses last year.
The previous academic year was marked by significant upheaval due to the ongoing conflict. At Berkeley, Jewish students had to be evacuated from an event when counterprotesters forced their way in. At Cal Poly Humboldt, demonstrators occupied an administration building for several days. Additionally, at the University of California, Los Angeles, occupants of a pro-Palestinian encampment were violently assaulted by unidentified counterprotesters.
Members of the Legislature’s Jewish Caucus, all Democrats, expressed frustration with how university leaders addressed these situations, prompting them to propose legislation. Initially, they sought broader measures, including a ban on calls for genocide; however, this provision and others that challenged free speech rights were ultimately removed.
The state's public universities have not opposed the changes, and some campuses have already started implementing updates to their codes of conduct.
However, the ACLU challenged some aspects of the proposals, arguing in a letter to lawmakers that the changes to conduct codes would be redundant and “only serves to chill the speech of students.” The United Auto Workers 4811, a union representing campus workers at UC, also opposed the legislation; this union had gone on strike last spring in response to the university system's handling of pro-Palestinian protests. The work stoppage led some Jewish lawmakers to reject a bill that would have provided unemployment benefits to striking workers.
In addition to this legislation, Newsom signed a bill aimed at preventing “hate littering,” which involves the distribution of flyers and similar materials on private property that threaten or harass individuals based on their identity.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
Under the new laws, universities will also be required to implement mandatory antidiscrimination training for students, a response rooted in concerns over a reported increase in antisemitic harassment on campuses following Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 last year. The legislation was spearheaded by Jewish lawmakers who aimed to address these rising tensions.
Both the Democratic and Republican parties in the state Legislature largely backed the proposals, despite facing opposition from pro-Palestinian activists and the ACLU. Gov. Newsom had expressed his support for updating university conduct codes even before the bill reached his desk. He traveled to Israel soon after the Oct. 7 attacks and outlined a plan to combat antisemitism in April, coinciding with the peak of university protests.
“We know that tensions are high following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas,” state Sen. Steve Glazer, the author of the code of conduct bill, told reporters earlier this year. “Even in these difficult circumstances, all students should be able to freely express themselves without threat or intimidation, especially on college campuses.”
Currently, protests have not escalated on California campuses as they did in the previous spring. University leaders have committed to not permitting pro-Palestinian encampments that were established on several campuses last year.
The previous academic year was marked by significant upheaval due to the ongoing conflict. At Berkeley, Jewish students had to be evacuated from an event when counterprotesters forced their way in. At Cal Poly Humboldt, demonstrators occupied an administration building for several days. Additionally, at the University of California, Los Angeles, occupants of a pro-Palestinian encampment were violently assaulted by unidentified counterprotesters.
Members of the Legislature’s Jewish Caucus, all Democrats, expressed frustration with how university leaders addressed these situations, prompting them to propose legislation. Initially, they sought broader measures, including a ban on calls for genocide; however, this provision and others that challenged free speech rights were ultimately removed.
The state's public universities have not opposed the changes, and some campuses have already started implementing updates to their codes of conduct.
However, the ACLU challenged some aspects of the proposals, arguing in a letter to lawmakers that the changes to conduct codes would be redundant and “only serves to chill the speech of students.” The United Auto Workers 4811, a union representing campus workers at UC, also opposed the legislation; this union had gone on strike last spring in response to the university system's handling of pro-Palestinian protests. The work stoppage led some Jewish lawmakers to reject a bill that would have provided unemployment benefits to striking workers.
In addition to this legislation, Newsom signed a bill aimed at preventing “hate littering,” which involves the distribution of flyers and similar materials on private property that threaten or harass individuals based on their identity.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
