Mr Biden, speaking from the East Room of the White House, said peaceful protest is “in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues” because the US is “not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent”.
He said the images of police clashing with protesters put the “fundamental American principles” of free speech and the rule of law “to the test” as he pointed out the importance of maintaining the latter to allow the former.
Read more from The Independent’s White House Correspondent Andrew Feinberg:
Katie Hawkinson2 May 2024 18:30
VIDEO: Stun grenades used on UCLA protesters as police order Gaza encampments to disperse
Stun grenades used on UCLA protesters as police order Gaza encampments to disperse
Hundreds of helmeted police muscled their way into a central plaza of the UCLA campus early on Thursday (2 May) to dismantle a Gaza protest camp attacked the previous night by pro-Israel supporters. Live TV footage showed officers in tactical gear arresting protesters and tearing down boards at the encampment occupied by demonstrators. Dozens of loud explosions were heard during the clash from flash-bang charges, or stun grenades, fired by police. Protesters, some carrying makeshift shields and umbrellas, sought to block the police advance by their sheer numbers, while shouting, “push them back” and flashing bright lights in the eyes of officers.
Katie Hawkinson2 May 2024 18:00
NYPD tear down tents inside Fordham University to disperse Gaza protesters
NYPD tear down tents inside Fordham University to disperse Gaza protesters
NYPD officers tore down tents inside a Fordham University building on Wednesday, 1 May, as they cleared a Gaza protester encampment. Police escorted demonstrators away from the Lincoln Center campus. NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said "individuals who refused to disperse from the unlawful encampment... [were placed] under arrest." Fordham University requested NYPD assistance, she added. It came amid similar action staged at other universities across the US; police arrested more than 130 demonstrators early Thursday at UCLA. Pro-Palestine encampment protests have also spread to the UK.
Katie Hawkinson2 May 2024 17:30
Coalition of Columbia faculty call for vote of no confidence in administrators
The Columbia University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors is calling for a vote of no confidence in President Minouche Shafik and her fellow administrators.
In a statement, the chapter condemned her decision to call the New York Police Department on protesters who had occupied Hamilton Hall Tuesday night.
“This decision was made without consultation with the University Senate, in violation of established procedures, by recourse to so-called emergency powers,” the chapter said in a Thursday statement. “It also flew in the face of efforts by the AAUP and faculty trusted by the student protestors to de-escalate the situation on campus and to serve as observers in negotiations–efforts endorsed by the University Senate chair that continued into the afternoon before the assault.”
More than 100 people were arrested on Columbia’s campus Tuesday evening.
Katie Hawkinson2 May 2024 17:01
A retired teacher saw inspiration in Columbia's protests. Eric Adams called her an outside agitator
Read more:
Katie Hawkinson2 May 2024 16:30
President Joe Biden condemns violent campus protests
“Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations, none of this is a peaceful protest,” President Joe Biden said on Thursday afternoon.
“Dissent is essential to democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder, or to denying the rights of others so students can finish the semester and their college education,” he continued.
“I understand people have strong feelings and deep convictions in America. We respect the right and protect the right for them to express that. But it doesn’t mean anything goes. It needs to be done without violence without distraction, without hating and within the law.”
Reporters shouted questions at the president as he left, with one asking if he believes the National Guard should be deployed to campuses with protests. Mr Biden answered “no” as he walked away from the podium.
Katie Hawkinson2 May 2024 16:13
Watch live: Joe Biden speaks amid pressure to address college Gaza protests
Katie Hawkinson2 May 2024 16:09
WATCH: Representative Lauren Boebert heckled by students after turning up to college Gaza protest
Katie Hawkinson2 May 2024 16:00
Far-right Republican calls antisemitism bill ‘ridiculous’
Representative Matt Gaetz, a far-right Republican from Florida, called the antisemitism bill that passed the House on Wednesday a “ridiculous hate speech bill.”
However, unlike many critics, Mr Gaetz did not raise concerns about free speech. Rather, he is concerned about the Biblical implications of the legislation.
“Antisemitism is wrong, but this legislation is written without regard for the Constitution, common sense, or even the common understanding of the meaning of words,” Mr Gaetz wrote on X. “The Gospel itself would meet the definition of antisemitism under the terms of this bill!”
“The bill says the definition of antisemitism includes ‘contemporary examples of antisemitism’ identified by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA),” he continued. “One of those examples includes: “…claims of Jews killing Jesus…” The Bible is clear. There is no myth or controversy on this. Therefore, I will not support this bill.”
Katie Hawkinson2 May 2024 15:30
US House passes bipartisan antisemitism bill
The US House of Representatives passed an antisemitism bill on Wednesday evening as pro-Palestinian campus protests surge across the country.
The bill would create “a clear definition of antisemitism” if passed by the US Senate and signed by the president. In turn, this bill would then allow the US Department of Education to cut funding to schools found tolerating behaviour that falls under the definition.
The bill passed with bipartisan support, 320-91.
Free speech advocates, however, oppose the bill. The American Civil Liberties Union argues the bill “would likely chill free speech of students on college campuses by incorrectly equating criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism.”
PEN America, a non-profit that advocates for free expression, also condemned the bill, noting that it would adopt the definition of antisemitism as laid out by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
“This definition, and its illustrative examples, is overbroad; its enshrinement into law could lead to significant impairment of academic freedom, free speech and legitimate political expression,” the organisation wrote this week.
“Codifying the IHRA definition, which was never intended to be legally binding or otherwise codified into law, is not the right way to attack antisemitic speech and bigotry,” the organisation continued. “Its vague nature is ill-suited to serve as a legal standard, much less form a basis for punitive action.”
Representative Michael Lawler, a Republican from New York who sponsored the bill, said enshrining the IHRA definition in law will instead protect Jewish students on college campuses.
“By requiring the Department of Education to adopt the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and its contemporary examples, the Antisemitism Awareness Act gives teeth to federal anti-discrimination laws to go after those who attack their Jewish peers,” Mr Lawler said. “Politics should never get in the way of the safety of students. The strong bipartisan support for and passage of this legislation will ensure that it won’t.”
Katie Hawkinson2 May 2024 15:00
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