President Biden on Thursday said students have a right to demonstrate on college campuses but the pro-Palestine demonstrations have become “violent protest,” breaking more than a week of silence about the mayhem.
“Destroying property is not a peaceful protest, it’s against the law,” Mr. Biden said from the White House. “Vandalism, trespassing, breaking down windows, shutting down campuses and forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation, none of this is a peaceful protest.”
It was the first time in more than a week that Mr. Biden weighed in on the growing anti-war protests.
Demonstrators at Columbia University, UCLA and other colleges across the country have taken over university buildings, harassed Jewish students and vandalized property in protest of Israel‘s assault on Gaza following Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack. The Israeli strikes against Hamas in Gaza have created a humanitarian crisis from a lack of food and clean water.
Mr. Biden, who has expressed support for Israel‘s right to defend itself, said the protests have not changed his views on Israel. He also said he doesn’t believe the National Guard should be called in, but declined to say why.
He deemed the actions of protesters harassing Jewish students as antisemitic.
“There is no place for hate speech for violence of any kind, whether it’s antisemitism, Islamophobia or discrimination against Arab Americans or Palestinian Americans. It’s simply wrong,” Mr. Biden said.
As he remained on the sidelines for more than a week, pressure has been building on Mr. Biden to deliver remarks on the college protests.
On April 22, he condemned the “antisemitic protests” but also urged sympathy from “those who don’t understand what’s going with the Palestinians.”
On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was peppered with questions by reporters. She declined to say if the National Guard should be called in or discuss the actions of local law enforcement, saying that it was up to the officials in those areas to decide.
Republican lawmakers have used the scenes of mob violence and protesters taking over buildings to hammer the president over what they say is inaction by his administration to get control over the situation.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, visited Columbia University last week where he called on Mr. Biden to speak out against the riots.
Other House Republicans argued with protesters while speaking at George Washington University this week.
Edward Ahmed Mitchell, national deputy director for the Council for American-Islamic Relations, said the Democratic president should have called out attacks on protesters and violence by law enforcement.
“President Biden’s vague, both-sides speech failed to specifically mention and condemn the violent attacks that pro-Israel rioters and law enforcement officers have launched against students protesting the Gaza genocide at UCLA and other schools across the country,” he said.
Mr. Mitchell further criticized Mr. Biden for not blaming Israel for causing the protests and for failing to call out incidents of what he described as Islamophobia and “anti-Palestinian racism.”
“If President Biden is concerned about unrest on college campuses, he should start specifically condemning attacks on peaceful protesters and stop funding the genocide that has triggered student protests,” Mr. Mitchell said.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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