Parents of students at the liberal haven of the University of California at Berkeley have been forced to turn to private security to protect their children on campus.
One parent, Sagar Jethani, told CBS News parents took matters into their own hands after the university ignored their repeated requests to protect students.
“The fact is if they’re not going to act, despite repeated pleas from parents and students to take more substantial action, then we’re going to act,” Jethani said. “We’re going to do what needs to be done to keep our family safe.”
“We want to, frankly, turn up the heat with the administration,” Jethani said. “We want to show that we’re not content to just wait forever to have these safety ambassadors deployed.”
Parents with the group Safe Bears announced their intentions on the group’s website:
We are 1,300+ Cal parents and community allies working to improve safety for UC Berkeley students through strategic planning, advocacy, and outreach to campus administration, student organizations, local law enforcement, city government, and safety experts at universities across the country. SafeBears is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
According to the Safe Bears, after raising more than $40,000, the additional security started on March 6 and will run through March 23.
Parents hope the university will step up and continue with their security plan after that.
Safe Bears reports a 20 percent increase in local robberies, trespassers gaining access to residence halls, threats, and violence at Berkeley.
One student told CBS News:
Rebekah, who declined to provide her last name, studies electronic engineering. She arrived in Berkeley in 2018 and felt safe on campus and in the city but, in the last two years, she’s been the victim of two armed robberies.
“I was parking in my driveway and, as I was unlocking the door, two people approached me from behind,” she said. “One came to the driver’s seat. One came to the passenger seat. They pointed a gun at me and told me to get out of the car.”
She lost her personal belongings and her car.
In a statement to CBS News, the university said they are adding more surveillance cameras and new community service officers trained by campus police, possibly hiring more police officers in the future.
Jewish students at Berkeley are particularly vulnerable. The Gateway Pundit reported that pro-Palestinian goons threatened and assaulted Jewish students in February during their campus speaking event, “Israel at War.”
The violent pro-Palestinian mob pounded on doors, assaulted Jewish students, broke glass windows, and forced the Jewish students to flee through tunnels for their safety.
The Jewish students were forced to flee the building through a campus tunnel to escape the violent leftist mob, and at least two Jewish students were assaulted by the pro-Palestinian mob.
The Jewish students were forced to evacuate the building through campus tunnels.
