President Joe Biden delivered remarks on the ongoing campus protests happening across the country on Thursday, saying that violence would not be tolerated.
Discussing the protests in prepared remarks, Biden said that peaceful protests and the rule of law are major pillars of American society but that “both must be upheld.”
“Peaceful protest in America. 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,” Biden said.
The president went on to criticize the actions of students at Columbia University who broke into a building on campus and barricaded themselves inside for a little over a day this week.
Biden said students have the right to an education, discuss discourse, and protest, but they don’t have “the right to cause chaos.”
“It needs to be done without violence, without destruction, without hate, and within the law,” Biden said.
Discussing the rise in anti-semitic rhetoric at protests, Biden doubled down, saying that it had no place in America.
Biden didn’t take questions, but when he was asked if the protests had changed his mind on his policy surrounding Israel’s war in Gaza, he answered, “No.”
Protests have been ongoing across the country for weeks but first popped up on Columbia University’s campus. Students have been calling for an end to the war in Gaza and for their universities to divest in Israel, setting up encampments on the campuses to protest around the clock.
However, the protests have drawn criticism as anti semitic rhetoric has been shared alongside the call for a ceasefire.
Members of Congress, college officials, and even Biden have denounced the rhetoric in recent weeks, with some saying that the protests should be shut down to stop the further spread of anti-semitic remarks and violence and to ensure the safety of all students on campus.
Some speculated whether Biden would send in the National Guard to restore order on the campuses, but he also answered “no” to that before walking out of the White House media room.