University of Florida (UF) President Ben Sasse told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday’s “State of the Union” how he stopped anti-Israel protesters from disrupting the school’s graduation ceremony.
Tapper said most parents and students celebrate their accomplishments rather than graduation ceremonies that focus on foreign conflicts in the Gaza Strip after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by the Islamic terrorist group Hamas. He said he was “hoping” for a graduation ceremony. Sasse told the CNN host that multiple graduation ceremonies at the university over the weekend were “very nice” because they were “unimpeded.”
Tapper spoke to Sasse about the university’s decision not to comply with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ October 2023 directive to close the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) organization. Asked.
“Where do university presidents draw the line between freedom of speech and the right of every student on campus to feel safe, feel safe and, frankly, enjoy college and graduate life?” Tapper asked. (Related article: ‘I don’t think so’: Bill Maher criticizes Biden’s student loan forgiveness for ‘Jew-hating’ protesters)
“That’s a great question,” Sass said. “I think there’s a line between speech and action. Well, I’m a First Amendment fanatic. It’s great to have the freedom of relief, the five glorious freedoms of the First Amendment. And that’s what we want to say to all students, whether they’re protesting or not. , there are two things we reiterate over and over again: We will always protect your right to free speech and free assembly. There are restrictions and you cannot occupy the entire university.”
“I think there’s a line between speech and action.”
President of the University of Florida @BenSasse Reacts to campus protests over Israel-Hamas war in interview with @jaketapper. pic.twitter.com/e3L3wTKKfJ
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) May 5, 2024
“People can’t spit on police, people can’t barricade buildings, and people can’t disrupt someone else’s opening ceremony. We don’t allow indoor protests,” he continued. . “This morning, while running after leaving The Swamp, our football stadium, I ended up running through the stadium this morning. I ran past a group of protesters waving Palestinian flags. We protect their right to do so, but we also have rules, and one of those rules is that we don’t allow camping on campus, so we start building encampments. Our goal is not to arrest people, but to help them comply with the rules. They can protest, they can try to persuade people, but they can’t. No one else will.”
The University of Florida has made clear its tolerance level for anti-Israel protests, shortly after encampments have sprung up on campuses across the country, starting with Columbia University.a memo A statement issued by the university notes that while the university allows peaceful protests, it prohibits amplified sound, protests inside campus buildings, threats, and acts of violence, and sets firm boundaries. established.
