University of California at Berkeley: Newspaper Theft

Case Materials

• "Theft of Newspapers Made Illegal in Berkeley," October 31, 2003: The city of Berkeley has passed a law making it explicitly illegal to steal newspapers (after Berkeley's mayor was fined for throwing out 1,000 copies of a student newspaper that endorsed his opponent). In that same month, Roger Williams University in Rhode Island froze publishing funds for a conservative newsletter after it published articles deemed by some to be "hostile" to others. Newspaper theft and censorship have no place at the colleges and universities of a free society.
• "FIRE Alert: Vandals Stifle Free Speech at Berkeley," March 8, 2002: At the University of California at Berkeley, on the night of February 25, 2002, vandals broke into the office of the College Republicans and stole 3000 copies of a student publication, The California Patriot. Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl denounced the theft as "unconscionable," pledging both to conduct a full investigation and to bring criminal and campus charges against those responsible. FIRE is dismayed by the high level of recent "book burnings" on American campuses (at Berkeley and elsewhere) and trusts that Chancellor Berdahl's words will be matched by his actions. FIRE will follow this case closely, expecting Berkeley to defend the free speech of its students from lawless censors.

Media Coverage

• "Campus Censorship," USA Today, April 7, 2004
• "Theft of Free Newspapers to Be a Crime in Berkeley," Kathy Lee, October 14, 2003
• "Censorship, Robbery, and Threats at Berkeley," March 8, 2002
• "Editorial: Thieves of Liberty," The Daily Californian, February 28, 2002
• "News in Brief: Investigation Into Patriot Theft Continues," Steve Sexton, The Daily Californian, February 28, 2002
• "Copies of California Patriot Stolen; Publication Staff Allegedly Harassed," John Cise, The Daily Californian, February 27, 2002
• "Conservative Magazine Burglarized at UC-Berkeley," Jim Burns, CNS News, February 27, 2002
• "Speech Codes on Campus," John Leo, Chattanooga Times, October 31, 2001
• "Don't Tread on Free-speakers," John Leo, US News & World Report, September 5, 2001