Pro-Palestinian activists in the US: Joe Biden says order must prevail on campuses

Joe Biden said Thursday that “order must prevail” in the face of a wave of demonstrations at American universities in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, putting him in a politically sensitive position six months before the presidential election. “Anti-Semitism and threats against Jewish students have no place on campus or in America,” the American president said.

“We are not an authoritarian country that silences people,” Joe Biden nevertheless assured during a short speech. “As president, I will always defend freedom of expression and will defend the law just as vigorously,” he said.

“Vandalism, violent entry, breaking windows, blocking campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes or graduation ceremonies – none of this falls within the scope of a peaceful demonstration,” the 81-year-old Democrat listed, however. “It’s illegal.”

Accused of inaction

In the morning, his opponent and Republican predecessor Donald Trump accused him of inaction in the face of the pro-Palestinian movement. “These are radical left-wing cranks and we have to stop them now because this is going to continue and get worse,” he said as he arrived in a New York court where he is on trial in an unprecedented trial of a former American president.

Joe Biden also said he does not support sending the National Guard, an Army corps that depends on states on the front lines, to campuses.

Delicate political position

The American president, who will run for a second term against Republican Donald Trump in November, has so far remained silent in the face of a wave of mobilization and police intervention to clear out demonstrators at Columbia University in New York or the University of California. (UCLA), for example.

Six months before elections in a polarized United States, the Democratic president has finally committed to addressing the issue, which is likely to undermine his campaign.

This mobilization puts Democrats in an extremely delicate political position. His pro-Israel policies have drawn sharp criticism from young, progressive Arab American voters, and Republicans accuse him of allowing anti-Semitism to flourish on college campuses. Joe Biden also assured that “no”, this protest movement will not change his strategy in the Middle East.