US President Joe Biden opposes last night’s takeover of a building at Columbia University by anti-Israel protesters, the White House says.
“The president believes that forcibly taking over a building on campus is absolutely the wrong approach. That is not an example of peaceful protest,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says during a press briefing.
“Hate speech and hate symbols have no place in this country,” Kirby adds.
“A small percentage of students shouldn’t be able to disrupt the academic experience… for the rest of the student body,” he says.
“Students paying to go to school and want an education should be able to do that without disruption and they ought to be able to… feel safe doing it.”
“They certainly deserve to be able to graduate and participate in a graduation ceremony,” Kirby adds. Earlier this month, the University of Southern California decided to cancel its main graduation ceremony due to concerns over mass pro-Palestinian protests.
Watch Docu Nation Season 2: Resilience
when you join the ToI Community
Support The Times of Israel's independent journalism and receive access to our documentary series, Docu Nation: Resilience, premiering December 12.
In this season of Docu Nation, you can stream eight outstanding Israeli documentaries with English subtitles and then join a live online discussion with the filmmakers. The selected films show how resilience, hope, and growth can emerge from crisis.
When you watch Docu Nation, you’re also supporting Israeli creators at a time when it’s increasingly difficult for them to share their work globally.
To learn more about Docu Nation: Resilience, click here.
Support ToI and get Docu Nation
Support ToI and get Docu Nation
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel eleven years ago - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
