On 21 April 2022, the University of California at Berkeley was forced to lock down and cancel classes for a day after an individual described as a member of the campus community made what a university spokesperson called “serious and credible threats” of violence against people on campus. The individual who made the threat was found off campus, and the threat resolved the same day, with little additional information reported.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about targeted, violent threats aimed at intimidating members of the higher education community and disrupting classes and campus life. Such threats undermine academic freedom and university autonomy. Federal, state, and university authorities should take reasonable steps to respond to and prevent such attacks, including by investigating and holding perpetrators accountable. In addition to the harm to the targets, such threats undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:

https://www.berkeleyside.org/2022/04/21/uc-berkeley-shelter-in-place-police

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2022-04-21/uc-berkeley-on-lockdown-as-police-investigate-threat

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-04-21/uc-berkeley-locked-down-due-to-campus-wide-threat 

*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)