WASHINGTON — President Biden on Thursday broke 10 days of silence on anti-terrorism anarchy on college campuses, saying the United States is not a “lawless nation” and that “order must prevail” while peaceful recognized the right to demonstrate and rejected calls to withdraw the protests. National Guard.
Biden, 81, spoke for three and a half minutes in the White House’s Roosevelt Room after receiving sustained criticism for not commenting publicly amid the unrest that unfolded across the country.
“When violence occurs, it is a violation of the law. Destruction of property is not a peaceful protest and is a violation of the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, forcing campus closures, canceling classes and graduations, etc. None of this is peaceful protest,” the president said. against the law. “
Asked if the protests had shaken his basic position of supporting Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip to eliminate the terrorist organization Hamas, Biden answered “no” and called for the dispatch of guards to schools with poor security. When asked if he supported it, he again answered “no.”
Mr. Biden, often referred to as “Genocide Joe” by protesters, was in the news this week across the country as Columbia University students briefly occupied the school’s Hamilton Hall before being removed by New York City police on Tuesday night. Amid the scale of the uproar, he was conspicuously absent from the debate. Late Wednesday, anti-Israel activists broke out in a scuffle at UCLA.
In recent remarks on April 22, Biden sought to take both sides of the issue, despite documented instances of anti-Semitism among protesters in Columbia. It looked like this and caused a backlash.
“We are not an authoritarian state that silences people or suppresses dissent. The voices of the American people are heard. In fact, peaceful protests are an important part of how Americans respond to critical issues. But we are not a lawless nation. We are a civil society, and order must prevail,” Biden began.
“We have faced moments like this many times throughout our history, because we are a large, diverse, free-thinking, freedom-loving nation. There will always be people rushing to score political points. But this is not the time for politics, this is the time for clarity.”
Biden added: “Let me be clear… violent protests are not protected, but peaceful protests are.”
Follow The Post’s coverage of anti-terrorism protests at universities across the country.
“Dissenting voices must never cause disruption or deny the rights of others so that students can finish their semesters and complete their college educations,” he continued.
“People have a right to protest, but not a right to cause chaos. People have a right to an education, a right to earn a degree, and a right to walk safely on campus without fear of being attacked.”
The president went on to say, “There should be no place on any campus for anti-Semitism or threats of violence against Jewish students.”
For the latest updates on anti-Israel protests taking place on campuses across the country, follow the Post’s live blog
He quickly added, “There is no place for hate speech, violence of any kind, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, discrimination against Arab-Americans or Palestinian-Americans. It is simply wrong. In America. There is no place for racism. It’s all wrong. It’s un-American.”
The president has long had an aversion to protests, famously denouncing anti-Vietnam War students who occupied a building at Syracuse University, where he attended law school, as “bastards,” but he has also been hostile to anti-Israel activists. I’ve been trying to avoid doing that. Polls show the dispute jeopardizes his re-election chances in battleground states such as Michigan.
