The White House condemned the actions of student demonstrators occupying a building on the campus of Columbia University on Tuesday (April 30th), calling it a blatant misstep.
Earlier on Tuesday, pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied the academic building known as “Hamilton Hall” at Columbia University, blocking the entrance and hanging the flag of Palestine outside the windows. They also brought furniture and metal barriers into the building.
White House National Security Advisor John Kirby told the media on Tuesday, “The President believes forcefully occupying campus buildings is absolutely wrong and not an example of peaceful protest.”
“Hate speech and symbols of hate have no place in this country. A small group of students should not disrupt the academic experience and lawful learning environment for other students,” Kirby added.
Kirby reiterated that disrupting the education of other students on campus is “unacceptable.”
“You cannot interfere with your classmates’ pursuit of education. They have the right to attend school and have the right to attend safely. They have the right to receive an education,” Kirby said. “Occupying buildings by force is unacceptable.”
When asked if President Biden would deploy the National Guard to address protests on college campuses, Kirby said there is currently no such consideration.
The White House stated last week that the handling of protest activities depends on state leaders regarding the National Guard.
Biden and the White House consistently condemn anti-Semitic and hateful speech during campus protests while also affirming that Americans have the right to peaceful protest.
Pro-Palestinian protest activities on American university campuses have entered their second week. Protesters are demanding universities divest from companies connected to Israel, alleging that these companies profit from the Gaza conflict.
Law enforcement has arrested hundreds, but protesters continue to occupy parts of campus buildings.
In a statement issued by Columbia University later on Tuesday, students who occupied Hamilton Hall were warned of potential expulsion.
University spokesperson Ben Chang said restoring order and safety is the school’s top priority, emphasizing that disciplinary actions against protesting students are not politically motivated.
The statement noted that the protests disrupted campus activities, creating a threatening environment for many Jewish students and faculty members and violating regulations concerning a hostile environment.
Columbia University has been at the center of the current wave of protests. Overnight, demonstrators moved from the west lawn camp to “Hamilton Hall.” Over the past few hours, some campus property has been damaged, including shattered glass doors.
The New York Police Department informed CNN that they will not plan to enter Columbia University without an official request from the university.
On Tuesday morning, around 30 pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus were detained for refusing to vacate the camp. The remaining protesters attempted to push police officers, “forcefully entering” the university’s southern building.
In the early hours of Tuesday, law enforcement agencies arrested about 35 individuals at California State University, Humboldt campus in Northern California, clearing out the campus building occupied since last week, and “restoring order.” At the time of the arrests, the university issued a shelter-in-place order for students living on campus and urged those off-campus to stay away from the area, as “criminal activity is still ongoing.”
The college also advised people living off-campus to steer clear, emphasizing that it was “unsafe at this time” on campus.
At the University of Texas at Austin campus, nearly 80 people were arrested, with almost all facing charges of trespassing, and one person facing charges of obstruction of justice.
Virginia Tech President Tim Sands stated that an additional 80 individuals were unlawfully intruding, occupying the graduate student life center lawn for three days, and repeatedly refusing to comply with university policies and public safety regulations.
On Monday night, about 9 individuals were arrested during a protest activity on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville.
University of Florida spokesperson Steve Orlando said, “The University of Florida is not a daycare center. We will not treat protesters like children – they know the rules, they break the rules, then they will face the consequences.”