Biden Addresses Campus Unrest: No Peaceful Protests

President Joe Biden finally spoke out on Thursday about the anti-Israel — and often anti-Semitic protests — that have swept through college campuses nationwide, drawing a line between peaceful protests and lawlessness.

Biden’s remarks, which come as Democrats have begun to fret publicly about the impact that widespread and potentially violent protests could have on the 2024 presidential election, warned against illegal actions such as vandalism but stopped short of calling out the anti-Israel demonstrations directly.

WATCH:

Biden on the pro-Hamas chaos on college campuses:

“So, let me be clear: 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.… pic.twitter.com/Cgn8WQJAOD

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 2, 2024

“This isn’t a moment for politics. This is a moment for clarity,” Biden said. “Let me be clear, 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,” he continued. “Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations, none of this is a peaceful protest.”

“Threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people, is not a peaceful protest. It’s against the law,” Biden added. “Dissent is essential to democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder or to deny the rights of others, so students can finish the semester and their college education. Look, it’s basically a matter of fairness. It’s a matter of what’s right.”

Throughout his remarks, the president continued to play both sides of the issue — and while he did generically call out those who had engaged in threats, vandalism, and violence, he did not connect those actions to the anti-Israel sentiment that has fueled the majority of the current protests. Instead, he once again stated his opposition to hate of any variety – giving “equal weight to anti-Semitism and Islamophobia” in the process.

“There should be no place on any campus, no place in America for anti-Semitism or threats of violence against Jewish students. There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind, whether it’s anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or discrimination against Arab Americans, or Palestinian Americans!” he said. “It’s simply wrong. There’s no place for racism in America. It’s all wrong. It’s un-American.”

WATCH:

Biden: “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 destruction, without hate, and within the law.… pic.twitter.com/fg0XKqwjo9

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 2, 2024

Critics pointed out that Biden’s statement — for good or bad — should have been made days or even weeks earlier when the protests began to ramp up.

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“This statement wouldn’t have been horrible…a week ago. At this point, its just meaningless, useless, and makes him look impotent,” one said.

This statement wouldn’t have been horrible…a week ago.

At this point, its just meaningless, useless, and makes him look impotent. https://t.co/2wHuRRWPKM

— Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D. (@neoavatara) May 2, 2024

“Biden refused to condemn them,” the House Republicans added.

Biden refused to condemn them. https://t.co/cAGAdFozMq

— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) May 2, 2024

Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany weighed in as well, saying, “Biden makes first statement on antisemitic protests in 9 days. If you blinked, you might have missed it. It lasted about a minute or so. This is called LEADING FROM BEHIND!”

Biden makes first statement on antisemitic protests in 9 days.

If you blinked, you might have missed it.

It lasted about a minute or so.

This is called LEADING FROM BEHIND!

— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) May 2, 2024

“Joe Biden just read off the teleprompter for a few minutes and condemned protests on campus that break the law. Then said all racism is wrong and left the podium. His polling must be worse than what we are seeing in public. He’s trying to both sides the issue and is drowning,” Outkick’s Clay Travis added.

Joe Biden just read off the teleprompter for a few minutes and condemned protests on campus that break the law. Then said all racism is wrong and left the podium. His polling must be worse than what we are seeing in public. He’s trying to both sides the issue and is drowning.

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 2, 2024

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