"Biden's Stance on UCLA Gaza Protest: Order Must Prevail After Campus Camp is Cleared."

"Biden's Stance on UCLA Gaza Protest: Order Must Prevail After Campus Camp is Cleared"

US President Joe Biden has called on pro-Palestinian protesters at universities to respect the rule of law. Speaking from the White House, he emphasized the importance of maintaining order in the wake of a surge in student-led unrest. "We are a civil society, and order must prevail," Biden stated in his first direct response to the recent campus protests. Over the past two weeks, police have arrested more than 2,000 people across the country during college rallies and protest camps. Among them, 209 arrests were made early Thursday at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Hundreds of riot police descended on UCLA's main campus in the early morning hours, dismantling a pro-Palestinian encampment. Police deployed flash bangs and flares, escorted protesters onto police buses, and took down the makeshift barricades and tents that had been set up a week prior.

"Biden's Stance on UCLA Gaza Protest: Order Must Prevail After Campus Camp is Cleared."

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UCLA issued a statement calling the encampment "both unlawful and a breach of policy," adding that it created unsafe conditions and hindered the university's ability to fulfill its mission. The statement noted that demonstrators obstructed pathways to classrooms and their confrontations with pro-Israeli counter-protesters "put too many [students] in harm's way." Addressing the nationwide protests later, President Biden remarked, "We are not an authoritarian nation that silences dissent, but we are also not a lawless country. People have the right to get an education, earn a degree, and walk safely across campus without fearing an attack."

What are student protesters at US universities seeking?

The Uncommitted National Movement, an Arab-American voting bloc opposed to President Biden's re-election campaign, claims that the president is unfairly labeling anti-war protesters.

"Biden's disregard for young voices and the over half a million uncommitted voters urging him to change direction is clear," said Abbas Alawieh, the group's leader. "We hope he listens before it's too late." According to a BBC survey, campus protests supporting Gaza have spread to nearly 140 colleges across at least 45 states and at least six other countries. Demonstrators are demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza war and urging universities to divest from Israel and companies profiting from the conflict. However, many colleges have responded with police presence, leading to violence on some campuses and a rise in antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish students.

The tension at UCLA's main West wood campus escalated on Tuesday night when a masked pro-Israeli group infiltrated the tent camp on Dickson Plaza, assaulting campers with bats, tear gas, and other objects. Police were slow to react, drawing criticism from students, observers, and some political figures.

After regaining control of the area on Wednesday, law enforcement established a strict security perimeter. The university administration had already declared the gathering an "unlawful assembly," and police moved in during the early hours of Thursday. As officers breached the perimeter, some protesters locked arms and used plywood barriers as shields, while others donned hard hats and wielded umbrellas. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who was at an "incident command post" alongside police leaders, issued a statement condemning violence, harassment, and vandalism on UCLA's campus or anywhere in the city.

Kenza, a UCLA student involved in the protests (she did not provide her last name), told the BBC that the encampment had been "completely peaceful."

 

"It's completely absurd that we're considered a threat to civil society when we've been the ones facing harassment for the past week," she remarked. UCLA announced that campus operations would be restricted on Thursday and Friday, with all classes shifting to remote learning.

Several schools, like Northwestern, Brown, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Vermont, have made deals with protesters regarding divestment demands.

However, in the last 24 hours, arrests have occurred at Yale, Dartmouth, Stony Brook, Portland State, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Texas at Dallas.