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Residents tell Davis HRC of campus chants, urge university accountability
Summary
Public commenters at the Davis Human Relations Commission hearing described recent campus incidents they said included chants praising violence and urged city and university officials to condemn and address the conduct. Commissioners noted concerns and outlined avenues for outreach to UC Davis units.
Several members of the public used the commission's public comment period to raise alarms about rallies and chants they said occurred on and near the UC Davis campus in October.
Dan (identified by the speaker during public comment) told the commission he had observed demonstrations using imagery and language he described as "Hamas propaganda" and recounted an October 7 confrontation in which masked demonstrators chanted slogans he characterized as calls for violence. "We have people using Hamas propaganda in Woodland on a weekly basis," Dan said.
A second commenter recounted seeing a student group chant statements described as praising violence and urged the university to acknowledge and apologize to the Jewish community. "If the university knew, apologize to the Jewish community for May 2. First acknowledge, then condemn, then apologize to us," the commenter said.
Commissioners and staff acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns and noted ongoing outreach with UC Davis offices and community organizations. No university representative spoke during the meeting, and the commission did not open a formal investigation at the session; public commenters were urged to provide any evidence they have to city staff for follow-up.
The commission also discussed how public comment is scheduled at HRC meetings and clarified that the commission accepts public remarks tied to agenda items and consent calendar items in the periods announced at the meeting. Several commenters asked the commission to make it easier to report and track alleged hate incidents and to ensure meeting notices and materials are visible on the city website.
Next steps: Commissioners said subcommittees and staff would continue outreach to institutional partners including UC Davis and local service providers and asked residents to forward documentation of incidents so staff can assess whether further action or referral is warranted.
