Today, in a short speech, President Joe Biden has condemned the recent wave of violent pro-Palestinian protests occurring on college campuses across the United States, stating that while Americans have the right to protest, they do not have the right to engage in chaos. His remarks come amid growing unrest and calls for stronger responses to the campus demonstrations.
Tune in as I deliver remarks. https://t.co/zN7LMKaBIf
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 2, 2024
Biden emphasized that the freedom to protest is a fundamental American principle, but it must be conducted within the bounds of the law. He pointed out that activities such as vandalism, trespassing, and other forms of property destruction do not constitute peaceful protests and are illegal.
The president specifically addressed the situation at Columbia University, where protesters occupied a building, leading to police intervention and mass arrests. He reiterated that such actions disrupt campus activities and infringe on the rights of other students and faculty.
“Destroying property is not a peaceful protest, it’s against the law…Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation, none of this is a peaceful protest.”
Despite the violence, Biden rejected calls for deploying the National Guard to campuses, stating that the situations should be handled by college administrators rather than militarized responses. However, he does seem to imply that he endorses the police presence on these campuses. The demonstrations have seen various confrontations between protesters and law enforcement, with some incidents leading to arrests and heightened scrutiny of police tactics.
The protests, which began over two weeks ago, have spread to over 100 campuses, with students demanding that their institutions divest from Israel. Nonetheless, in his speech, Biden maintained his stance on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, indicating that the protests would not influence his administration’s position.
The White House has so far limited its direct involvement with the ongoing protests, focusing on individual campus responses and private discussions with community leaders at Columbia and other universities.