Biden condemns "antisemitic protests" on college campuses

President Biden connected Monday weighed successful connected nan pro-Palestine demonstrations taking spot astatine elite assemblage campuses. 

"I condemn nan antisemitic protests," Mr. Biden told reporters aft an Earth Day Event successful Northern Virginia Monday. "That's why I've group up a programme to woody pinch that. I besides condemn those who don't understand what's going connected pinch nan Palestinians." A newsman trim disconnected nan president's condemnation earlier he could finish. 

More than 100 group person been arrested astatine Columbia University since pro-Palestine protesters began occupying nan grounds past week, and constabulary arrested 45 protesters astatine Yale University connected Monday aft nan demonstrators many times refused to vacate nan plaza voluntarily. Students astatine Yale and Columbia are calling for a ceasefire successful Gaza and demanding their universities divest from companies connected to Israel. But some Jewish students astatine Columbia say galore of nan chants are antisemitic, and they're concerned astir their safety. 

Similar protests have been taking spot astatine different assemblage campuses, including astatine MIT, Boston University, Emerson College and Tufts University. 

Other apical Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, some of New York, person criticized nan demonstrations, too. The protests travel arsenic Passover is group to statesman astatine sundown Monday. 

Calls are increasing for Columbia's president, Nemat "Minouche" Shafik, to resign, arsenic Columbia goes afloat distant successful an effort to deescalate nan situation. 

The full Republican legislature New York delegation called for Shafik's resignation Monday, accusing her of failing to support students safe.

"The ongoing business that has unfolded is simply a nonstop denotation of your continued lax enforcement of argumentation and clear double standards," nan lawmakers wrote. "Your nonaccomplishment to enforce nan rules connected field has created an situation successful which students and extracurricular agitators cognize they are capable to run pinch impunity and without immoderate accountability. While nan rot is systemic, nan work rests squarely connected your shoulders."

GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, who was conscionable extracurricular Columbia University Monday,  "Everybody has nan correct to protest. They person nan correct to sound their opinion. The infinitesimal you move that into beingness assaults aliases threats against others is nan infinitesimal you suffer that right."

Shafik testified earlier Congress for respective hours past week, telling Congress, "Antisemitism has nary spot connected our field and I americium personally committed to doing everything I tin to face it directly."

Some Jewish legislature Democrats besides went to Columbia's field to connection their support for Jewish students. They did not echo nan calls for Shafik's resignation, but demanded nan restoration of order.

Addressing his remarks to nan university's administrators, Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, said, "Stop nan double talk and commencement acting now. Discipline harassers, reconstruct civility connected this campus, promote peaceful, constructive dialogue."

Mr. Biden declined Monday to measurement successful connected Shafik's fate. 

At nan aforesaid Earth Day arena pinch Mr. Biden, progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York cited nan "peaceful student-led protests" astatine Columbia University and different campuses, highlighting really politically delicate nan authorities are pinch respect to nan Israel-Hamas conflict. 

The president besides condemned antisemitism astatine protests astatine assemblage campuses successful a written connection Sunday night. 

"Silence is complicity," he said. "Even successful caller days, we've seen harassment and calls for unit against Jews. This blatant antisemitism is reprehensible and vulnerable – and it has perfectly nary spot connected assemblage campuses, aliases anyplace successful our country."

Israel continues near-daily assistance raids connected Rafah, a metropolis successful confederate Gaza, resulting successful nan deaths of galore civilians, including children. 

In:
• Hamas
• Israel
• Joe Biden
• Columbia University
• Protest