Berkeley lecturer suspended over Gaza hunger strike leads protest teach-in

Peyrin Kao, who was issued a six-month suspension this week from his computer science lecturing position at the University of California, Berkeley, for going on a hunger strike in support of Gaza, emerged to lead an outdoor teach-in on campus Thursday afternoon.

More than 100 students, at least one of whom has gone on a hunger strike in support of his suspended lecturer, attended the teach-in. Kao took the microphone to lecture, this time not on computer science, but on why he had chosen to go on a hunger strike in support of Gaza and why he believes it is vital for students to continue advocating for Palestinian human rights.

In September, Kao was one of 160 Berkeley students, faculty and staff whose names and personal information were shared with US President Donald Trump's administration in what the government described as an investigation into antisemitism.

"What it comes down to is that we're sort of at a crossroads, especially with this so-called ceasefire happening," Kao told the students gathered outdoors.

"I think the next chapter of this history is just starting to be written. And so that's why I think it's more important than ever now—even after there's this so-called ceasefire—to do everything we can to stand up for human rights, to stand up for equality, to stand up for democracy, to stand up for dignity for the Palestinian people and liberation for the Palestinian people, because we're at such an important moment in history," he added.

Kao's suspension follows a letter from the university's vice chancellor, Benjamin Hermalin, accusing Kao of creating a hostile environment and of neglecting his teaching duties during his hunger strike, an accusation Kao denies, saying he strictly focused on teaching in the classroom. He maintains a student rating of 4.8 (out of 5), an unusually high score for any lecturer.

On the other hand, campus activists and rights groups, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Palestine Legal, have pointed to hostility from the Berkeley administration towards students critical of Israel.

"Why is someone saying starvation is bad—why is that the hostile environment?" asked Kao, as he pointed out students who have lost loved ones in Gaza, as well as university investments in technology and weapons companies that are connected to Israel.

As he spoke on a crisp fall afternoon, students sat attentively, while some circulated a petition to support his reinstatement. Many attended the teach-in after learning about it in advance, while others joined as they walked through campus.

Kao's talk was followed by lectures from students and activists, who discussed the history of student and labour movements and the connections between STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and advocacy for Palestinian human rights.

Stephen Okita, one of Kao's students, who was on his second day of a hunger strike Thursday in support of Kao, told The New Arab, "The university needs to know that Peyrin doesn't stand alone, and they can’t get away with continuing to ignore the people in Gaza. And just by suspending someone, this issue doesn't go away."