STORRS, Conn. (WTIC Radio) - President Joe Biden focused on the nation's history of equality for all as he highlighted the importance of fighting for human rights while at the University of Connecticut Friday.
The president spoke before several of Connecticut's key political figures while at the dedication ceremony of UConn's Dodd Center for Human Rights, including Governor Ned Lamont, the state's two U.S. senators and other congressional members, along with hundreds of other attendees.
Former senator Christopher J. Dodd welcomed the president onto the stage.
"Mr. President, your presence here today on this, our university campus, at this center for human rights, is not merely a gesture of friendship, as much as I appreciate our friendship. It is also a reflection of who you are, of what you believe and what you want for our country," Dodd said.
Biden pointed to the foundation on which the country is built on to emphasize the crucial role the United States has in fighting for human rights.
The United States is unique in all the world, Biden said, because of the one guiding principle that says all men and women are created equal.
"We have never lived up to it. We have never, until very recently, walked away from it," Biden said.
Reflecting on the recent political turmoil that the country is facing, Biden looked to the past, stressing that it's critical for the United States to learn from its past mistakes and to improve for future generations.
He used the Nuremberg trials as an example, as did many other speakers when acknowledging the work of Thomas J. Dodd did during the trials.
According to Biden, those trials were about accountability rather than vengeance.
"Only acknowledging the truth can we prevent the repetition of atrocities which are happening now in other parts of the world," Biden said.
He also highlighted his administration's efforts in putting human rights at the center of foreign policy, as he aims to gear the United States toward a path that focuses on valuing human rights once again, Biden said.
With those efforts ongoing, Biden announced a virtual "summit of democracies" that the United States will be holding in December to bring world leaders together "to make concrete commitments to democratic values."
"There's not a single reason why we can't do this," Biden said, "As I've told every world leader that I've gotten to know, and I've met many many of them, there's never been a good bet to bet against the American people."
The event at UConn was met with numerous protestors throughout the day, including Trump supporters and student organizers.
Protesters holding Trump and American flags rallied near the event, though due to metal gates blocking off a large section surrounding the Dodd Center, their shouts were faint at the actual event. However, local reports said protesters did block at least one sidewalk while on campus.
Before the event, students rallied near the Dodd center to protest Biden's visit, chanting, "Biden sucks at human rights, hey UConn, let's fight!"
"UConn is demonstrating extreme hypocrisy in allowing [Biden] to speak at an event dedicated to human rights," Nell Srinath said. Srinath is the president of UConn Unchain, a radial anti-imperialist organization on campus.
Biden has not delivered on campaign promises, Srinath said, while also implementing Trump-era policies that disregard human rights, such as Title 42 which was used in the removal of Haitians at the border.
The organization also wanted to see the UConn administration follow on its promises that involve human rights, such as addressing racism on campus and climate change, Srinath said.