In a surprising turn of events, a private dinner hosted by Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of Berkeley Law School, was disrupted by a group of pro-Palestine students who voiced their objections against the professor's alleged support for Zionism. Chemerinsky and his wife, professor Catherine Fisk, were hosting their annual spring celebration for around 60 graduating students at their home when the protest unfolded.

The incident began when a woman took the microphone and began delivering a speech, highlighting the plight of Palestinians. Chemerinsky and his wife immediately approached her and requested that she stop and leave. However, even as they attempted to take away the microphone, the woman persisted, prompting the couple to remind her that she was a guest in their home. Around ten students who stood with her eventually left as a group.

Video footage captured the moment when a Berkeley law student, identified as Malak Afaneh, was challenged by Chemerinsky and Fisk as she spoke into the microphone on the steps of their home. Fisk sternly stated, "Leave. This is not your house, this is my house," while Chemerinsky added, "Please leave our house. You are guests in our house."

It is worth noting that Afaneh is the co-president of Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine, a student group that had previously called for a boycott of Chemerinsky's dinner. The group had published a controversial cartoon featuring the dean holding a fork and knife covered in blood. The accompanying caption read, "No dinner with Zionist Chem while Gaza starves." This prompted Chemerinsky to condemn the use of such imagery, citing it as an example of anti-Semitism.

Reflecting on the incident, Chemerinsky expressed his disappointment, stating, "On April 9, about 60 students came to our home for the dinner. All had registered in advance. All came into our backyard and were seated at tables for dinner. The dinner, which was meant to celebrate graduating students, was obviously disrupted and disturbed. I am enormously sad that we have students who are so rude as to come into my home, in my backyard, and use this social occasion for their political agenda."

The incident has sparked a larger conversation about free speech, protesting boundaries, and the intersection of activism and private spaces. Chemerinsky's condemnation of the use of anti-Semitic imagery highlights the need for respectful discourse, even in the midst of disagreement.

As the fallout from this event continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how it will impact the dialogue between pro-Palestine advocates and supporters of Zionism within the Berkeley Law School community.