President Joe Biden said he will not deploy the National Guard to respond to ongoing pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses across the United States.
During a press conference on Thursday, Biden was asked if he thinks the National Guard should "intervene" in the protests, to which he responded "no," just before walking out of the room.
Recent pro-Palestinian protests have broken out at schools such as Columbia University, Yale, Northwestern University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Protesters have called on the schools to divest from Israel amid the nation's war against Hamas militants in Gaza.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.
The Context
Tensions across college campuses have remained high since October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel that left 1,200 people dead and saw over 200 more taken hostage. More than 34,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since the war began, the Associated Press reported, citing local health officials.
Nearly 300 protesters were arrested by the NYPD this week at City College of New York and Columbia University, where demonstrators had set up a "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" on campus.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday blamed "outside agitators" for escalating the protests, saying at a press conference that "there is a movement to radicalize young people, and I'm not going to wait until it's done and all of a sudden acknowledge the existence of it."
What We Know
According to the National Guard website, "the President can activate the National Guard to participate in federal missions, both domestically and overseas. When federalized, Guard units fall under the same military chain of command as active duty and reserve troops."
In his press conference on Thursday, Biden said that he is in support of peaceful protests but noted that "it's against the law when violence occurs."
"Destroying property is not a peaceful protest, it's against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations, none of this is a peaceful protest," Biden said.
Views
Earlier this week, former President Donald Trump called on Biden to issue a response to the protests.
"The Biden protests that are going on are horrible. It's all caused by him," Trump said on Tuesday while speaking to reporters outside of the Manhattan courthouse where he is attending his criminal trial. "He's gotta get out and make a statement because the colleges are being overrun in this country."
What's Next
Following the arrests at Columbia University, many of the protesters were removed from an occupied academic building and the Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
Police in California also responded to protests at the University of California Los Angeles on Thursday; footage from Good Day LA showed police shooting rubber bullets at the encampment.
Update 5/2/24, 11:40 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 5/2/24, 12:26 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
