UC Santa Cruz condemns students’ ‘celebration’ of Hitler’s birthday

May 3, 2023

SANTA CRUZ — A group of UC Santa Cruz students are alleged to have “celebrated” Adolf Hitler’s birthday last month, singing “Happy Birthday” and eating cakes decorated with “hateful and horrific” symbols.

In a letter emailed campuswide Friday, UCSC officials said the antisemitic celebration “had been referred to student conduct for follow-up and adjudication.”

The April 20 “celebration” came shortly before a student parked off campus, in downtown Santa Cruz, discovered an antisemitic and anti-LGBTQIA+ flyer on their windshield, according to the campus message. The flyer included “despicable and degrading claims about Jewish people and LGBTQIA+ people,” according to the message.

In response, campus authorities were said to be reaching out to Santa Cruz city officials to “ask for their support and collaboration to address the concerning flyers reported downtown.”

“We unequivocally condemn these — and all — antisemitic and anti-LGBTQIA+ actions,” the message, signed by Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Success Akirah Bradley-Armstrong, stated. “They are at odds with our Principles of Community and, as such, will be addressed accordingly. These disturbing incidents follow a national trend of increased antisemitic rhetoric and violence. Whatever the purpose and wherever they take place, we reject any and all acts of antisemitism.”

White supremacy and any action intended to degrade, dehumanize, or intimidate another based on identity “has no place at UC Santa Cruz,” according to the statement.

https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2023/05/03/uc-santa-cruz-condemns-students-celebration-of-hitlers-birthday/