History of the Free Speech Movement

The Free Speech Movement began in 1964 when UC Berkeley students protested the university’s restrictions on political activities on campus. Small sit-ins and demonstrations escalated into a series of large-scale rallies and protests demanding full constitutional rights on campus. This led to the university overturning policies that would restrict the content of speech or advocacy. Today, the Movement stands as a symbol of the importance of protecting and preserving free speech and academic freedom.

For more information, check out the UC Berkeley Library Free Speech Movement Oral History Project.

A black and white photo of a crowd of people with a Free Speech Movement sign under Sather Gate
Mario Savio, a notable figure in the Free Speech Movement, crouching down on steps to talk with people sitting on the ground
The Free Speech Movement was the first revolt of the 1960s to bring to a college campus the mass civil disobedience tactics pioneered in the civil rights movement. Those tactics, most notably the sit-in, would give students unprecedented leverage to make demands on university administrators, setting the stage for mass student protests against the Vietnam War.
Robert Cohen, author of Freedom’s Orator