Detectives with the UC Berkeley Police Department have released images of people suspected of participating in a pro-Palestinian protest on campus in February that drew hundreds and resulted in violence and property damage, they said. 

Israeli attorney Ran Bar-Yoshafat was invited to speak at Zellerbach Playhouse on Feb. 26 by the Jewish student groups Students Supporting Israel and Berkeley Tikvah.

Bears for Palestine, another student group, called for a protest to shut down the lecture, along with other groups. Their Instagram post on the day of the event condemned Bar-Yoshafat as a murderer. 

“This individual is dangerous,” the post said. “Ran Bar-Yoshafat has Palestinian blood on his hands. He has committed crimes against humanity, is a genocide denier, and we will not allow for this event to go on.” 

Minutes before the event was to start, a crowd of some 200 protesters began to surround the building, according to a statement issued by UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ.

The UC Berkeley Police Department is asking for help identifying this person suspected of committing one or more criminal acts during a riot at a campus event hosted by a Jewish student organization at the Zellerbach Playhouse in Berkeley, Calif., on Feb. 26, 2024. (UC Berkeley Police Department via Bay City News)

On Monday, UC Berkeley Police described the event as a “riot” and said “members of the crowd forced their way into the building, injured guests and police officers, and caused property damage. Two incidents were classified as hate crimes.” 

UC Police have released pictures of subjects they hope to identify with the public’s help, who they believe “committed one or more criminal acts during the course of this event.” 

Anyone who may be able to identify a person or persons pictured is asked to contact Detective Thomson at (510) 642-1606 or j.thomsen@berkeley.edu. 

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.