Topline
President Joe Biden defended “peaceful protest,” but warned “violent protest is not protected” while speaking Thursday about the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses for the first time in over a week, as he navigates the politically thorny issue threatening to impair his reelection chances.
US President Joe Biden speaks about the protests over Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza that have ... [+]
Key Facts
“Peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues,” Biden said, adding that “we are a civil society, and order must prevail,” while delivering brief remarks from the White House on Thursday on the campus protests that have devolved into scenes of violence and arrests over the past week.
When prompted by reporters, Biden also said he does not believe the National Guard should be called in to intervene in the protests, as some Republicans have demanded, and that he has no plans to change his policies surrounding the Israel-Hamas war in response to the demonstrations.
Biden said “destroying property is . . . against the law,” adding that “vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations . . . none of this is a peaceful protest.”
Biden made the comments after hundreds have been arrested on college campuses and police raided a building at Columbia University being occupied by pro-Palestinian students earlier this week.
Up until Thursday, Biden had been virtually silent on the protests in public, but said during an Earth Day event last Monday he “condemn[s] antisemitic protests” and also “those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”
Some of Biden’s allies worry his unwavering support for Israel in its war with Hamas risks losing young voters, while his political adversaries, including former President Donald Trump, have placed blame on him for the protests, accusing him of not taking a firm enough stance against them or in support of Israel.
Crucial Quote
“Look, it’s basically a matter of fairness. It’s a matter of what’s right. There’s the right to protest, but not the right to cause chaos,” Biden said. “There should be no place on any campus, no place in America, for antisemitism or threats of violence against Jewish students. There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind, whether it’s antisemitism, Islamophobia or discrimination against Arab Americans or Palestinian Americans.”
Chief Critic
“Biden should speak out . . . he should say something, because nobody knows where he is. He’s definitely against Israel,” Trump said Wednesday during a campaign speech in Wisconsin. Trump has increasingly sought to blame Biden’s growing frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for enabling the protests, while accusing Jews who vote for Democrats of hating Israel.
Key Background
Police cleared protest encampments at UCLA, Columbia and other universities this week, arresting hundreds, including scores of non-students taken into custody at Columbia University and the City College of New York, according to the New York Police Department. At UCLA on Thursday, police fired what appeared to be rubber bullets, according to CNN, as they dismantled an encampment overnight, following a standoff with demonstrators who refused to evacuate and attempted to stop police from entering. Columbia’s Hamilton Hall was left with broken furniture and shattered windows after police removed protesters occupying the building Tuesday. Police in Hanover, New Hampshire, also arrested over 100 people at Dartmouth University following a massive early morning raid Wednesday. The protesters have demanded their schools divest from companies with ties to Israel or those that are profiting from the conflict, but the universities have refused to concede, while some have canceled classes and postponed exams due to the demonstrations. The protests have, at times, been the scenes of antisemitism and harassment against Jewish students, many of whom have said they feel unsafe on their campuses.
Tangent
Biden, while reiterating his support for Israel, has also expressed growing frustration with Netanyahu and has urged him to take a more measured approach in Gaza to spare the lives of civilians and aid workers, though he has not announced any changes to his policy on the conflict.
Further Reading
Over 100 Arrested At UCLA After Police Remove Encampment, Reports Say (Forbes)
Nearly 300 Arrested At Columbia And CUNY After Police Clear Protest Encampments (Forbes)
Police Deployed To UCLA Protest Clashes—After NYPD Arrests Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators At Columbia (Forbes)
