Free Speech at UC Berkeley

Free Speech Movement sign under Sather Gate.

Sixty years ago, the Free Speech Movement was born here at UC Berkeley, igniting a powerful wave of activism that swept the country.

Thanks to the thousands who protested here in 1964, universities nationwide began to ensure students’ rights to free political speech. Inspired in part by the Civil Rights Movement, those protests would go on to fuel other landmark struggles for civil rights, and now stand as a historic example of successful student activism.

Today, Berkeley students and experts remain deeply engaged with issues related to democracy and freedom of expression. Our community is hard at work shaping the next 60 years of free speech around the world. Here’s how.

The legacy of the Free Speech Movement

Chancellor Lyons weighs in on the history of the Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley, and how the community is carrying it forward today.

In the News

Bridging divides: from anger and mistrust to belonging — and hope

What good is free speech if no one’s listening?

60 years later, the Free Speech Movement’s legacy lives on at the UC Berkeley Library

Berkeley Talks: Legal scholars on free speech challenges facing universities today

Two centuries later, performance spaces still struggle with ‘soft censorship’

How UC Berkeley researchers are making online spaces safer for all

How the Berkeley Liberty Initiative champions free speech in divided times

Free Speech 101

Watch Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explain what free speech means in 101 seconds.

Free speech is an inseparable part of Berkeley's legacy. Our community has an unwavering commitment to defend it and ensure freedom of expression for all, both on our campus and across our country.
Rich Lyons, UC Berkeley Chancellor

UC Berkeley Experts

From protecting academic freedom to curbing online censorship, here are just a few ways UC Berkeley students, faculty and staff are advancing free speech in their work.

Christopher Edley gestures while he speaks while seated with a small group of four other men.

Edley Center on Law & Democracy

The Edley Center produces research and policy guidance that help protect American democracy and rule of law, striving to strengthen democratic institutions, curb efforts to impinge the electoral process, and train students to safeguard our political system from authoritarian threats.

Learn more about the Edley Center

Brandie Nonnecke, the founding director of the CITRIS Policy Lab, speaks at a podium during an event.

CITRIS Policy Lab

The CITRIS Policy Lab has launched several efforts to promote free speech online. These include Our Better Web, which aims to support resilient digital democracies, and research and policy guidance to promote a more inclusive internet for all.

Learn more about Our Better Web

Condoleezza Rice speaks into a microphone while having a conversation with others on a stage.

Berkeley Liberty Initiative

For over a decade, the Berkeley Liberty Initiative has helped promote diverse perspectives on campus and fostered spirited yet respectful debate. The initiative's annual Ambassador Frank E. Baxter Lecture brings high-profile leaders who are focused on political and economic freedom to campus.

Learn more about the Liberty Initiative

3 people sit in a group. The middle person speaks into a microphone while the other two listen intently.

Banned Scholars Project

With political attacks on academics rising, the Banned Scholars Project aims to protect academic freedom. Housed in the Department of African American Studies, the project brings scholars targeted for their work in Black Studies and related fields to Berkeley to share their experiences and build a defense of the public university.

Learn more about the Banned Scholars Project