Controversial billboard outside UC Berkeley law school graduation

BERKELEY, Calif. - A pro-Israel group put up a controversial billboard on Friday morning outside UC Berkeley's law school graduation.

The billboard, commissioned by Accuracy in Media, publicly identified eight UC Berkeley law students who President Adam Guillette said signed a proclamation banning any speakers that support the state of Israel.

The mobile billboard was parked outside the Greek Theater and was visible to anyone walking by it.

KTVU has blurred the names because the allegations couldn't be immediately verified and it's not a crime to sign such a proclamation.

Guillette said he felt that naming the students is perfectly appropriate and legal.

"They proudly signed a public proclamation banning anyone who supports the existence of Israel from speaking at their events," he said. We would never share private information. But if they're that proud of their antisemitism, they shouldn't be ashamed that we've shared it with a larger audience."

Guillette said the group plans to move the billboard to Southern California to USC next with a similar display.

"For the students who've apologized and quit their antisemitic organizations, we take them off our billboards and take down their names, immediately," he said.

Ethan Reilly, a Jewish law student who wore a Palestinian keffiyeh, said that he feels that outing the students by name is "aggressive and harassing."

"This is really inappropriate to be putting students' names up like this at a moment of celebration," he said.

Another graduate student named Ashley also didn't like the messaging.

"You can do lots of things on a public street," she said. "It doesn't mean that you should."

The billboard controversy comes at a time when pro-Palestinian protests have led to the cancelation of graduation ceremonies and universities across the country.

UC Berkeley's main commencement is scheduled for Saturday morning at Memorial Stadium.