President Biden on Thursday broke days of silence and finally spoke out about the wave of anti-Israel protests on U.S. college campuses that have intensified across much of the country, defending the right to peacefully protest but not allowing violence. and denounced anti-Semitism.
In an unscheduled televised statement from the White House, Biden strongly condemned students and other protesters who he believed had gone too far in their complaints about Israel's war against Hamas. However, he rejected a Republican request to deploy the National Guard to suppress campuses.
“Destruction of property is not peaceful protest. It is against the law,” Biden said. “Vandalism, trespassing, broken windows, campus closures, forced cancellations of classes and graduations, none of these are peaceful protests. Threatening, intimidating, and instilling fear in people is It's not a peaceful protest. It's against the law. Dissent is essential to democracy, but dissent can cause disruption and harm others so that students can finish their semesters and complete their college educations. Rights should never be denied.”
The president's statement comes as some Democrats, frustrated by his reluctance to speak out, pressure him to publicly address the campus riots. It was done. Biden has so far responded to reporters' questions 10 days ago by issuing only a few sentences that even Democrats considered too vague, otherwise leaving it to his press secretary to express his own views. Ta. Republicans have accused him of not thinking well of himself.
Mr. Biden suggested that his critics were simply being opportunistic. “In moments like this, there are always those who rush to score political points. But this is not the time for politics. This is a moment of clarity. So let me be clear: It's peaceful protest in America. Violent protest is not protected. It's peaceful protest.”
He stressed that he will always defend free speech, even against those who protest his support for Israel's wars. But he made it clear that he believes too many demonstrations go beyond simple speech.
“You have the right to protest, but you don't have the right to cause chaos,” he said. “People have a right to an education, a right to a degree, a right to walk safely on campus without fear of being attacked.”
“Let's be clear on this too,” he added. “There should be no place on any campus or in America for anti-Semitism or threats of violence against Jewish students. Hate speech or violence of any kind has no place.”
In response to questions from reporters, Biden said he had no intention of changing his Middle East policy in response to the protests. As he left the room, he asked if the National Guard should intervene, and he simply said “no.”
