Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday condemned pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses in the Democratic state on Fox News, saying Florida does not “run child care centers.”
DeSantis appeared on “Hannity” to discuss ongoing protests on school campuses across the country as many students demand that universities end their support for Israeli-affiliated companies. Fox host Sean Hannity began by praising Florida’s governor for the state’s “lack of moral ambiguity,” saying he believes Florida’s students will be able to attend schools like Columbia University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He pointed out that this was the reason why he did not hold a protest. (Related article: Colombian protesters demand ‘humanitarian aid’ provided; NYPD delivers justice instead)
“Well, Sean. In many ways, Florida is not California. [and] Not New York on many issues, especially how we treat these universities. “Students who think they can set up encampments or take over buildings have no right to do so and will be held accountable in Florida,” DeSantis said.
“If you look at places like Columbia University, Harvard University, and the University of California, the administrators and presidents of these universities are too weak to do anything about this problem. Maybe they’re not aware of what’s going on. I agree, there are no consequences, so unless there are consequences, we will continue to see such behavior.”
“I can tell you that at Florida you get results. We don’t run a daycare center at a university, we run a university. People are there to learn, people are there to improve themselves. We’re not going to sit there and put up tents all over college campuses. That’s unacceptable,” DeSantis said.
Students at Columbia University have been protesting the conflict between Israel and Hamas since the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, and on April 17, students at Columbia University began their ongoing large-scale demonstrations. Not only have protesters occupied parts of the lawn since last month, but early Tuesday morning, protesters occupied the school’s Hamilton Hall.
Video footage has surfaced online showing some demonstrators breaking door windows and holding an “Intifada” flag outside one of the windows as students rush to set up barricades. It spread. But by late Tuesday night, Columbia State officials asked New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers to remain on campus after graduation and gave the green light to return the building.
A similar scene unfolded for UCLA students early Wednesday morning, as pro-Palestinian activists barricaded themselves in a camp and took over a corner of campus. Tensions broke down between activists and counter-protesters, leading to chaotic scenes where both groups clashed. By early Thursday morning, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers had retaken the school area and detained some of the activists.
