US President Joe Biden on Thursday defended the right to protest but insisted that “order must prevail” as college campuses across the country face unrest over the war in Gaza. “Dissent is essential for democracy,” he said at the White House. “But dissent must never lead to disorder.”
The Democratic president also said the protests have not caused him to reconsider his approach to the war. Biden has occasionally criticised Israel’s conduct but continued to supply weapons.
“Campus protests haven’t prompted me to rethink my Middle East policies: Biden
Biden said the campus protests haven’t prompted him to rethink his Middle East policies, and he opposes sending in the National Guard.
His remarks, occurring shortly before he left the White House for a trip to North Carolina, came after days of silence about the protests. Republicans have tried to turn the scenes of unrest into a campaign cudgel, and Biden said he rejected efforts to use the situation to “score political points.”
“This isn’t a moment for politics,” he said. “It’s a moment for clarity.”
Biden’s last previous public comment on the protests came more than a week ago when he condemned “antisemitic protests” and “those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”
The White House, which has been peppered with questions by reporters, had gone only slightly further than the president. On Wednesday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden is “monitoring the situation closely,” and she said some demonstrations had stepped over a line that separated free speech from unlawful behaviour.
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