US President Joe Biden rejects calls from protesting students to change his policy on the war on Gaza. At the same time, he said that “order must prevail”, at a time when university campuses across the country are facing a wave of violence, the Associated Press reported, cited by BTA.
„Disagreement is essential to democracy, but it should never lead to riots,”, Biden said at the White House. With his words, the Democratic president broke his silence on the protests amid attempts by the Republican Party to use the unrest for election purposes. According to the AP, Biden, focusing his message on maintaining order and defending the right to free speech, is trying to take a balanced stance on the divisive issue that has emerged in the middle of his re-election campaign.
The AP says Biden has largely sidestepped the protesters' demands, which include an end to US support for Israeli military operations. Asked after his remarks whether the demonstrations would cause him to consider changing course, Biden replied simply: “No“.
At the same time, the president said he does not want National Guard units stationed on campuses, despite calls from some Republicans.
„There is a right to protest, but not a right to cause chaos. People have a right to get an education, a right to get a degree, a right to walk around campus in safety without fear of being attacked,” Biden said shortly before leaving the White House for a trip to North Carolina.
Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said the president was “monitoring the situation closely” and that some demonstrators crossed the line that separates free speech from illegal action.
Former Republican US President Donald Trump, who will be the most likely opponent of Joe Biden in the presidential election in November, criticized Biden's actions during an interview with the journalist from “Fox News” Sean Hannity: “Biden needs to do something. Biden is supposed to be the voice of the country, and he is certainly a voice that no one hears.
Additionally, the AP reports that at least 2,000 people have been arrested during the pro-Palestinian protests that have gripped dozens of US college campuses. So at least 200 people were arrested today at the University of California, Los Angeles, where police units in riot gear confronted a crowd of demonstrators. Police removed barricades and began dismantling the fortified encampment of demonstrators after hundreds of protesters defied orders to leave campus, with some forming human chains as police used stun grenades to disperse the crowd. Protests accompanied by arrests and clashes with the police were also held at higher education institutions in Albuquerque, Buffalo, Dallas, Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago and others.
The AP says Israel has characterized the protests as anti-Semitic, while Israel's critics say it is using those claims to silence those unhappy with its policies.