VOA News | Thursday, May 2, 2024 
Biden: ‘Order must prevail’ alongside free speech in campus protests over war in Gaza

After weeks of pro-Palestinian protests escalating in universities across the United States, President Joe Biden addressed the nation Thursday, underscoring that the right to free speech and the rule of law must both be upheld. “Order must prevail,” he said from the White House, even as he stressed that dissent is “essential for democracy.” “We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent,” he said. “The American people are heard. In fact, peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues.” Biden said he does not support calls by some Republican lawmakers including House Speaker Mike Johnson to send in the National Guard to quell protests. He said the campus demonstrations have not caused him to reconsider his approach to Gaza. His administration has criticized some of Israel’s war conduct but continues to support their efforts to eliminate Hamas, despite pushback from progressive Democrats and American Muslim groups. Biden’s statement was met with criticism from Edward Mitchell, deputy director of the Council of American and Islamic Relations, who said the president’s “vague, both-sides speech failed to specifically mention or condemn the violent attacks that pro-Israel rioters and law enforcement officers have launched against students protesting the Gaza genocide across the country.” “The White House has repeatedly…Read more