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Massive coalition of UC Berkeley faculty, employees and students sued the Trump admin
Trump administration sued over campus free speech activities!
Massive coalition of UC Berkeley faculty, employees and students sued the Trump admin
Unions sue convicted felon Trump administration to protect campus speech rights
By Lynda Carson - September 17 2025
Mario Savio's speech at The Sproul Hall Steps on December 2, 1964 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsO_SlA7E8k
"There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!"
Reportedly, “The Free Speech Movement (FSM) was a massive, long-lasting student protest which took place during the 1964–65 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. The Movement was informally under the central leadership of Berkeley graduate student Mario Savio. Other student leaders include Jack Weinberg, Tom Miller, Michael Rossman, George Barton, Brian Turner, Bettina Aptheker, Steve Weissman, Michael Teal, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg and others.”
Music concerts, free food from Food Not Bombs, and many, many, free speech rallies used to happen at Peoples Park in Berkeley through the years, until the UC Regents decided to take the legendary park away from the people.
Google Headlines about the UC Berkeley faculty, students, and employees lawsuit against the convicted felon President Trump to protect campus speech rights…
https://news.google.com/search?q=UC%20Berkeley%20faculty%20sues%20Trump&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen
UC Berkeley faculty, students, and employees sued the convicted felon President Trump’s administration yesterday in federal court, according to a press release with Democracy Forward.
In part the press release from yesterday states, “San Francisco, CA – A broad coalition of faculty, staff, students, and labor unions today filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeking to stop the Trump-Vance administration’s attempt to unlawfully stifle free speech within the University of California (UC) system, the second largest employer in California. The massive coalition of labor unions representing workers throughout the nation, as well as those with members directly affected by the administration’s unlawful attack on free speech, is represented in the matter by Democracy Forward and Altshuler Berzon LLP.
“In America, there is no king. Under our Constitution, the President cannot force people to think like he does, believe like he does, nor be exposed to only the ideas he agrees with. Yet, he’s trying to do just that. The Trump-Vance administration’s attempt to stop students, faculty, and staff at UC campuses from exercising their First Amendment rights and to unlawfully seek to intimidate educational institutions is a callous dismissal of one of the most important pillars of our democracy,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “On the week that the Constitution was signed 238 years ago, we are honored to represent this powerful coalition of working people, who have come together to defend free speech and challenge this unlawful march toward autocracy.”
The coalition includes the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and University Council–American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299, the California Nurses Association (CNA)/National Nurses United (NNA), Teamsters Local 2010, International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) and UAW Local 4811, the University Professional and Technical Employees–Communication Workers of America (UPTE), Council of UC Faculty Associations and campus-specific Faculty Associations (UCFAs) comprised of the Berkeley Faculty Association, Davis Faculty Association, Irvine Faculty Association, Riverside Faculty Association, San Diego Faculty Association, Santa Cruz Faculty Association, UC Merced Faculty Association, UC Santa Barbara Faculty Association, UCSF Faculty Association, and University of California Los Angeles Faculty Association.”
“The case is American Association of University Professors et al v. Trump et al and the coalition is asking the court to block the Trump-Vance administration from further use of financial threats to coerce the UC system to accede to demands that will harm faculty, staff, and students, in violation of the Constitution and existing law.
The Trump-Vance administration has attempted to implement a playbook to threaten colleges and universities based on a disdain for and disagreement with the content of those institutions’ curriculum, the nature and content of the expressive activity that has taken place at those institutions, and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and initiatives.
This effort expanded to the UC system at the end of July 2025, when the administration used reports of antisemitism in protests on a UC campus, and vague and unsupported allegations that UC was discriminating by using “proxies” for race in college admissions and transgender-inclusive policies, as justification to cancel almost $600 million in research grants to a UC campus. That was followed on August 8, 2025, by a demand letter insisting that the UC system cede control to the federal government and to a government-appointed monitor over certain curriculum, faculty hiring and promotion decisions, adopt new protest restrictions and other restrictions on speech, agree to the disclosure of certain student disciplinary records, eliminate “diversity, equity, and inclusion” efforts, end gender-inclusive policies as relates to restrooms and other private spaces, and ban its medical centers from providing gender-affirming care to minors, among other policy changes that, if adopted, would violate the constitutional and state law rights of faculty, students, and staff. On top of these policy demands, the administration is demanding that the UC pay at least $1 billion to the federal government, despite no legal basis for imposing any such fine.
“We will not stand by as the Trump administration destroys one of the largest public university higher education systems in the country and bludgeons academic freedom at the University of California, the heart of the revered free speech movement,” said AAUP President Todd Wolfson. “In this historic lawsuit, faculty, students, and staff walk together to fight the authoritarian takeover of our universities. We stand hand in hand to protect not only our individual rights to free expression, debate, and association, but also to safeguard the health, safety, and economic mobility of our communities – all of which is at risk.”
“Let’s be clear: we should tackle antisemitism and other acts of hate and discrimination. But these illegal demands on the University of California are intended to punish an esteemed institution by crippling economic opportunity and hindering the open pursuit of knowledge–the core purpose of our colleges and universities,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “It will not eradicate antisemitism, it will make things worse for Jewish students by making things worse for everyone.
Today, we reject this attempt to silence free speech and resolve to challenge the Trump administration’s actions until they are rescinded.”
“This isn’t about antisemitism, it’s about banning gender-affirming care at UC hospitals, firing tenured faculty, exerting federal control over the content of UC teaching and research, and the permanent loss of jobs for many contingent faculty and staff,” said CUCFA President Annie McClanahan. “More broadly, it’s about an attempt to dismantle California’s third-largest employer—and an attack on the economy and future of the state. CUCFA, AAUP, and the UC unions realized it was vital to take action together to defend the UC and our core values from the Trump administration.” “The federal government’s demands are attempts to resegregate our universities, to banish non-citizens and gender non-conforming people from public life, to suppress free speech, to silence pro-Palestinian activism, and to supersede shared governance on our campuses–potentially undermining our collective bargaining rights,” said UC-AFT President Katie Rodger.
Read the full complaint here…
https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Filed-Complaint.pdf
Judith Butler: Jewish Prof. Among 160 Named in UC Berkeley “Antisemitism” Files Handed to Trump Admin
Reportedly in Democracy Now on September 15, 2025, in part it states, “The University of California, Berkeley has provided Trump officials with the names of at least 160 students, faculty and staff in cases of alleged antisemitism on campus, in response to the administration’s sweeping crackdown on Palestinian solidarity activism. The administration has already threatened to cut off federal funding from academic institutions and has targeted international students involved in the pro-Palestine movement.
“There is no good evidence that antisemitism is rampant on campus,” says the philosopher Judith Butler, who teaches at UC Berkeley and whose name was among those shared with the Trump administration. “To take a position against genocide is certainly not an antisemitic thing to do. Most Jews are against genocide, and we were taught to be against genocide, and we were taught, as well, that 'never again' is a slogan that should apply to all people.”
In a September 16, 2025 email below from longtime Oakland local activist, James E. Vann, demanding that James B Milliken, President, University of California, needs to resign, it states:
Dear Dr James B Milliken, President, University of California
*** Awaiting Your Resignation ***
A few days ago, when I heard on the morning news that you released to the Trump government (for 'suspected tolerance of antisemitism') the identification of 160 teachers and related UCB associates, my jaw hit the floor.
As a former Instructor and proud alum of UCB, I could not be MORE ANGRY, DISGUSTED, HUMILIATED, EMBARRASSED, RAGING MAD, AND IN UTTER DISBELIEF that my beloved institution -- home of the ground-breaking Free Speech Movement -- would cowardly and precipitously yield to the anti-Democratic arrogance of the simpleton wanna-be-dictator, Donald Trump.
The least I can accept from my flagship institution is heroic defiance consonant with the obstinence of distinguished Harvard College in upholding the principles of free exploration. Detailed conjecture is useless and counterproductive.
Your weak subservient yielding to illegal authoritarianism is unredeemable, and miserably fails all tests of eligibility befitting the leadership of the University of California.
Therefore and unhesitatingly, YOU ARE CALLED ON TO DISPLAY YOUR LAST SMIDGEN OF HONOR BY RESIGNING FORTHWITH FROM THE HIGH OFFICE YOU SO UTTERLY DISGRACED.
James E Vann AIA ('63)
Public records reveal that James Milliken made a campaign contribution to John Kerry years ago.
Chancellor Rich Lyons heads the UC Berkeley campus.
Below are a few links to a few other articles…
Lynda Carson may be reached at newzland2 [at] gmail.com
Death of Charlie Kirk fuels violence and clampdown on free speech
by Lynda Carson (newzland2 [at] gmail.com)
Mon, Sep 15, 2025 4:01AM
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2025/09/15/18879882.php
U.S. citizens are targeted for thoughts and negative comments about Charlie Kirk
by Lynda Carson (newzland2 [at] gmail.com)
Sat, Sep 13, 2025 6:48AM
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2025/09/13/18879824.php
HUD threatens to cut funding for Public Housing Authorities (to attack immigrants)
by Lynda Carson (newzland2 [at] gmail.com)
Thu, Aug 28, 2025 8:16PM
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2025/08/28/18879353.php
>>>>>
>>>>>
Unions sue convicted felon Trump administration to protect campus speech rights
By Lynda Carson - September 17 2025
Mario Savio's speech at The Sproul Hall Steps on December 2, 1964 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsO_SlA7E8k
"There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!"
Reportedly, “The Free Speech Movement (FSM) was a massive, long-lasting student protest which took place during the 1964–65 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. The Movement was informally under the central leadership of Berkeley graduate student Mario Savio. Other student leaders include Jack Weinberg, Tom Miller, Michael Rossman, George Barton, Brian Turner, Bettina Aptheker, Steve Weissman, Michael Teal, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg and others.”
Music concerts, free food from Food Not Bombs, and many, many, free speech rallies used to happen at Peoples Park in Berkeley through the years, until the UC Regents decided to take the legendary park away from the people.
Google Headlines about the UC Berkeley faculty, students, and employees lawsuit against the convicted felon President Trump to protect campus speech rights…
https://news.google.com/search?q=UC%20Berkeley%20faculty%20sues%20Trump&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen
UC Berkeley faculty, students, and employees sued the convicted felon President Trump’s administration yesterday in federal court, according to a press release with Democracy Forward.
In part the press release from yesterday states, “San Francisco, CA – A broad coalition of faculty, staff, students, and labor unions today filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeking to stop the Trump-Vance administration’s attempt to unlawfully stifle free speech within the University of California (UC) system, the second largest employer in California. The massive coalition of labor unions representing workers throughout the nation, as well as those with members directly affected by the administration’s unlawful attack on free speech, is represented in the matter by Democracy Forward and Altshuler Berzon LLP.
“In America, there is no king. Under our Constitution, the President cannot force people to think like he does, believe like he does, nor be exposed to only the ideas he agrees with. Yet, he’s trying to do just that. The Trump-Vance administration’s attempt to stop students, faculty, and staff at UC campuses from exercising their First Amendment rights and to unlawfully seek to intimidate educational institutions is a callous dismissal of one of the most important pillars of our democracy,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “On the week that the Constitution was signed 238 years ago, we are honored to represent this powerful coalition of working people, who have come together to defend free speech and challenge this unlawful march toward autocracy.”
The coalition includes the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and University Council–American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299, the California Nurses Association (CNA)/National Nurses United (NNA), Teamsters Local 2010, International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) and UAW Local 4811, the University Professional and Technical Employees–Communication Workers of America (UPTE), Council of UC Faculty Associations and campus-specific Faculty Associations (UCFAs) comprised of the Berkeley Faculty Association, Davis Faculty Association, Irvine Faculty Association, Riverside Faculty Association, San Diego Faculty Association, Santa Cruz Faculty Association, UC Merced Faculty Association, UC Santa Barbara Faculty Association, UCSF Faculty Association, and University of California Los Angeles Faculty Association.”
“The case is American Association of University Professors et al v. Trump et al and the coalition is asking the court to block the Trump-Vance administration from further use of financial threats to coerce the UC system to accede to demands that will harm faculty, staff, and students, in violation of the Constitution and existing law.
The Trump-Vance administration has attempted to implement a playbook to threaten colleges and universities based on a disdain for and disagreement with the content of those institutions’ curriculum, the nature and content of the expressive activity that has taken place at those institutions, and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and initiatives.
This effort expanded to the UC system at the end of July 2025, when the administration used reports of antisemitism in protests on a UC campus, and vague and unsupported allegations that UC was discriminating by using “proxies” for race in college admissions and transgender-inclusive policies, as justification to cancel almost $600 million in research grants to a UC campus. That was followed on August 8, 2025, by a demand letter insisting that the UC system cede control to the federal government and to a government-appointed monitor over certain curriculum, faculty hiring and promotion decisions, adopt new protest restrictions and other restrictions on speech, agree to the disclosure of certain student disciplinary records, eliminate “diversity, equity, and inclusion” efforts, end gender-inclusive policies as relates to restrooms and other private spaces, and ban its medical centers from providing gender-affirming care to minors, among other policy changes that, if adopted, would violate the constitutional and state law rights of faculty, students, and staff. On top of these policy demands, the administration is demanding that the UC pay at least $1 billion to the federal government, despite no legal basis for imposing any such fine.
“We will not stand by as the Trump administration destroys one of the largest public university higher education systems in the country and bludgeons academic freedom at the University of California, the heart of the revered free speech movement,” said AAUP President Todd Wolfson. “In this historic lawsuit, faculty, students, and staff walk together to fight the authoritarian takeover of our universities. We stand hand in hand to protect not only our individual rights to free expression, debate, and association, but also to safeguard the health, safety, and economic mobility of our communities – all of which is at risk.”
“Let’s be clear: we should tackle antisemitism and other acts of hate and discrimination. But these illegal demands on the University of California are intended to punish an esteemed institution by crippling economic opportunity and hindering the open pursuit of knowledge–the core purpose of our colleges and universities,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “It will not eradicate antisemitism, it will make things worse for Jewish students by making things worse for everyone.
Today, we reject this attempt to silence free speech and resolve to challenge the Trump administration’s actions until they are rescinded.”
“This isn’t about antisemitism, it’s about banning gender-affirming care at UC hospitals, firing tenured faculty, exerting federal control over the content of UC teaching and research, and the permanent loss of jobs for many contingent faculty and staff,” said CUCFA President Annie McClanahan. “More broadly, it’s about an attempt to dismantle California’s third-largest employer—and an attack on the economy and future of the state. CUCFA, AAUP, and the UC unions realized it was vital to take action together to defend the UC and our core values from the Trump administration.” “The federal government’s demands are attempts to resegregate our universities, to banish non-citizens and gender non-conforming people from public life, to suppress free speech, to silence pro-Palestinian activism, and to supersede shared governance on our campuses–potentially undermining our collective bargaining rights,” said UC-AFT President Katie Rodger.
Read the full complaint here…
https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Filed-Complaint.pdf
Judith Butler: Jewish Prof. Among 160 Named in UC Berkeley “Antisemitism” Files Handed to Trump Admin
Reportedly in Democracy Now on September 15, 2025, in part it states, “The University of California, Berkeley has provided Trump officials with the names of at least 160 students, faculty and staff in cases of alleged antisemitism on campus, in response to the administration’s sweeping crackdown on Palestinian solidarity activism. The administration has already threatened to cut off federal funding from academic institutions and has targeted international students involved in the pro-Palestine movement.
“There is no good evidence that antisemitism is rampant on campus,” says the philosopher Judith Butler, who teaches at UC Berkeley and whose name was among those shared with the Trump administration. “To take a position against genocide is certainly not an antisemitic thing to do. Most Jews are against genocide, and we were taught to be against genocide, and we were taught, as well, that 'never again' is a slogan that should apply to all people.”
In a September 16, 2025 email below from longtime Oakland local activist, James E. Vann, demanding that James B Milliken, President, University of California, needs to resign, it states:
Dear Dr James B Milliken, President, University of California
*** Awaiting Your Resignation ***
A few days ago, when I heard on the morning news that you released to the Trump government (for 'suspected tolerance of antisemitism') the identification of 160 teachers and related UCB associates, my jaw hit the floor.
As a former Instructor and proud alum of UCB, I could not be MORE ANGRY, DISGUSTED, HUMILIATED, EMBARRASSED, RAGING MAD, AND IN UTTER DISBELIEF that my beloved institution -- home of the ground-breaking Free Speech Movement -- would cowardly and precipitously yield to the anti-Democratic arrogance of the simpleton wanna-be-dictator, Donald Trump.
The least I can accept from my flagship institution is heroic defiance consonant with the obstinence of distinguished Harvard College in upholding the principles of free exploration. Detailed conjecture is useless and counterproductive.
Your weak subservient yielding to illegal authoritarianism is unredeemable, and miserably fails all tests of eligibility befitting the leadership of the University of California.
Therefore and unhesitatingly, YOU ARE CALLED ON TO DISPLAY YOUR LAST SMIDGEN OF HONOR BY RESIGNING FORTHWITH FROM THE HIGH OFFICE YOU SO UTTERLY DISGRACED.
James E Vann AIA ('63)
Public records reveal that James Milliken made a campaign contribution to John Kerry years ago.
Chancellor Rich Lyons heads the UC Berkeley campus.
Below are a few links to a few other articles…
Lynda Carson may be reached at newzland2 [at] gmail.com
Death of Charlie Kirk fuels violence and clampdown on free speech
by Lynda Carson (newzland2 [at] gmail.com)
Mon, Sep 15, 2025 4:01AM
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2025/09/15/18879882.php
U.S. citizens are targeted for thoughts and negative comments about Charlie Kirk
by Lynda Carson (newzland2 [at] gmail.com)
Sat, Sep 13, 2025 6:48AM
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2025/09/13/18879824.php
HUD threatens to cut funding for Public Housing Authorities (to attack immigrants)
by Lynda Carson (newzland2 [at] gmail.com)
Thu, Aug 28, 2025 8:16PM
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2025/08/28/18879353.php
>>>>>
>>>>>
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