US President Joe Biden claimed on Thursday that ongoing student demonstrations against Israel’s war in Gaza did not make him reconsider his stance on the region, according to Time.
The American people are heard, in fact, peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues. But neither are we a lawless country. We’re a civil society, and order must prevail.
The remark came at the end of an unscheduled speech at the White House in which Biden commented on the demonstrations, arguing that the US “is not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent.”
“Violent protest is not protected. Peaceful protest is. It’s against the law when violence occurs. Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It’s against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations. None of this is a peaceful protest. Dissent is essential to democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder or to denying the rights of others.”
On Wednesday night at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), police dismantled a student camp and dispersed protesters. According to the Los Angeles Times, more than 130 people were arrested.
The police action came a day after a pro-Israel group violently attacked the student camp, attempting to tear it down, threw fireworks into the crowd, and engaged in repeated hand-to-hand combat with protesters as police did not intervene for about three hours.
According to the Times, UCLA is launching an independent investigation into Tuesday night’s events, which includes both its own actions and those of law enforcement.
Demonstrations across the country gained momentum last month after Columbia University asked the New York Police Department to forcibly evict a group of students camped out on the campus lawn. More than 100 people were arrested, but the protesters quickly adapted and staged a new sit-in.
On Tuesday night, they were forcibly removed by police from the site and the building they were occupying. Asked whether the National Guard should be deployed to break up demonstrations on college campuses across the country, Biden replied, “No.”
