In his first public remarks on this week’s campus protests, President Joe Biden criticized much of the unrest over the Israel-Hamas war erupting at colleges across the country, saying “none of this is a peaceful protest.”
“Destroying property is not a peaceful protest,” Biden said Thursday. “It is against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations, none of this is a peaceful protest.”
Asked by a reporter if the protests have caused him to reconsider his policy in the Middle East, Biden replied, “No.” He also said he would not send the National Guard to intervene in the campus activism.
Biden had been facing increasing pressure in recent days from both Republicans and progressives to address the surge of campus protests across the nation in response to Israel’s war with Hamas. The demonstrations, which have roiled universities such as Columbia and UCLA, have become a focal point for political debate, highlighting the delicate balance Biden must strike as he navigates the complexities of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
Read More: Pro-Palestinian Campus Protests Highlight Divisions Among Democrats
Republicans have seized upon the unrest as an opportunity to criticize Biden’s handling of the crisis, accusing him of weakness on Israel. Meanwhile, some prominent progressives have called on Biden to show solidarity with the pro-Palestinian student demonstrators and take a more assertive stance against Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
“I can understand why [Biden] doesn’t want to comment on this,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat and chair of the progressive caucus, told TIME on Wednesday. “I think it would be great if he lifted up [the history of student protests], while making sure that people understand that antisemitism is wrong.”
Biden had refrained from public remarks on the protests for over a week before his comments on Thursday. While…
