UC Berkeley’s institutionalized disdain for opinions dissenting from the mean hit a fever pitch in the last two weeks, and it is beyond the appropriate time to change it. This campus prides itself on being the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement and a bastion of true liberalism — an openness to different behavior or opinions — and yet many students, professors and administrators exercise a complete disregard for carrying forth this legacy.

Since the beginning of this semester, members of the Berkeley College Republicans, or BCR, have been continually harassed, had property damaged and destroyed, had drinks poured on them and, during one incident, had a cellphone stolen out of a member’s hand, all for simply supporting their preferred presidential candidate. Most recently, in light of a staged demonstration on Sproul Plaza publicly disconnected from the club, BCR was denounced with obscenities by hundreds of students despite immediate proof that the event was put on by undercover activists. This string of attacks against the club is beyond unwarranted and breaks the principles of the Student Code of Conduct “to act with honesty, respect and integrity for others.” Unfortunately, this behavior is not the exception but the rule; systemic hatred of right-of-center beliefs runs thick at UC Berkeley, and a lackluster response from the administration has led students to commit these acts without fear of repercussions.

Public expression of views from across the political spectrum have always been tolerated in the United States, ranging from Eugene Debs and his socialist crusade in the 1920s to the McCarthyism that characterized the 1950s and everything in between. Though most people staunchly disagreed with these sentiments, they were included and protected as part of the broader national debate. And yet today, BCR members are physically attacked and institutionally condemned for merely supporting a candidate for whom close to half of the country will end up voting! Our club and any and all other students who support free speech believe it is high time for an unequivocal denunciation of these violent and inexcusable actions by our fellow UC Berkeley students in honor of our First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and expression.

It is relevant to state that this abridgment of our free speech rights is not a phenomenon fabricated by club members looking for attention; campus denouncement of political expression was reported by CNN just last week and President Barack Obama himself has acknowledged it exists on college campuses. While UC Berkeley happens to be a hotbed of this activity at present, thousands of our peers nationwide have experienced these same intimidation tactics that are being tried on us.

Just last week, a fellow student who has never interacted with BCR denounced our club’s existence and attempted to blame us for the behavior of our aggressors. But though Ismael Chamu, the current on-campus face of anti-BCR rhetoric, claims to speak in defense of students and the campus community, he has publicly stated “F**k your free speech” and that certain speech “will be destroyed.” The first statement is simply antithetical to our campus’s history, and the second condones the physical attacks against our members. This silencing of opposition would be inconceivable to our fellow Bears from the 1960s who fought voraciously to protect students’ rights to voice support for causes they believe in. Additionally, those sentiments stand directly opposed to the open political discourse that our nation has always fostered. The Berkeley College Republicans have a message for those who attempt to squash free expression: The loyal opposition will not be silenced, and support for our cause will not waver! In fact, we pity students who quite literally cannot tolerate speech with which they disagree because they will be in for a rude awakening once they leave their Berkeley bubble. The fact that some students get hurt and upset to the point that they want to block out speech they do not like is a weakness that people outside Berkeley will recognize and exploit, and not to your gain.

It is critical to clarify that BCR wholeheartedly supports fellow students’ desire to hold any political beliefs, and we notably take no issue whatsoever with left-leaning members of the community. We chose this university knowing our views would be challenged, and as a club we proudly cherish this fact as one that challenges us intellectually and strengthens our resolve.

But the irony in all of this is that the very purpose of a university is to seek the truth and find solutions to issues of our time through fierce debate and discourse. The censorship of one side of the political debate is reminiscent of the dictatorships of the 20th century, not the United States of America of today. When students are challenged to think critically and reconsider or defend their views, they expand their intellectual horizons; this de facto censorship on campus helps nobody. UC Berkeley professors, administrators and students have a moral and legal responsibility to stand up for our right to freely express our views. We will gladly debate fellow students who disagree with us, but destroying our property and attacking our members is neither revolutionary nor brave in any way.

It is for this reason that we are demanding tolerance; we have asked politely in the past, but now is the time for action. We seek tolerance of our right to speak our minds, just as every other controversial campus group utilizes its privileges. It is patently absurd that it is considered acceptable for students to sit on an American flag or smash a Donald Trump piñata in front of Sproul Hall, but we have to fear displaying the likeness of a presidential candidate. If his face makes you uncomfortable, then you just might need a safe space the size of the United States, because you are attempting to shield yourself from roughly half the country. That doesn’t sound right, does it?

Remember, free speech does not equal comfortable speech, and our First Amendment means nothing at all with even the most minor of restrictions. UC Berkeley’s reputation of loud and proud students who eagerly challenge the status quo is preserved not by those who destroyed our Trump cutout and attacked our members but by the dedicated and impassioned Berkeley College Republicans.

Jose Diaz, Claire Chiara and Pieter Sittler are the president, external vice president and internal vice president, respectively, of the Berkeley College Republicans.