Regarding the taking down of U.S. flags to raise Palestinian ones, Karine Jean-Pierre says âAmericans have the right to peacefully protest within the law.â
The day after pro-Palestine demonstrations on college campuses across the country turned violent as protesters forcibly occupied a building and clashed with police and counter-protesters, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was pressed during a May 1 briefing to state President Joe Bidenâs position on the recent developments.
Her answer was a two-pronged general statement reiterating the administrationâs continued condemnation of anti-semitism and hate speech and recognition of Americansâ right to protest peacefully within the limits of the law.
Ms. Jean-Pierre told reporters that President Biden and his team are âmonitoring the situation closely.â When asked why he remained silent after the recent violence, she reiterated the presidentâs record of fighting antisemitism as proof of his pre-established position.
âWhat we believeâand weâre very clear on thisâis that peacefully protesting within the law is something that every American should have the right to do,â she said. âWeâre also going to call out any type of anti-semitism that we are hearing, that we are seeing.â
Ms. Jean-Pierre shared the administrationâs recognition of studentsâ right to learn and feel safe on campus and, in a reference to protesters in Columbia occupying a campus building, its belief that taking over buildings âis not peacefully protesting.â
However, Ms. Jean-Pierre declined to officially condemn any other aspect of the protests beyond the anti-semitism and âdisruption that really takes away from studentâs academic experience,â which, she also said, was being undertaken by âa small percentage of students.â
What was President Bidenâs view on the tearing down of the U.S. flag by some campus protesters to raise the Palestinian flag in its place?
âAmericans have the right to peacefully protest within the lawâwithin the law. And we have to also respect that,â Mr. Jean-Pierre replied before reiterating the aforementioned views regarding âtaking over buildingsâ and anti-semitism.
When asked for the White Houseâs opinion on the ways schools like Columbia University opted to handle the protests, Ms. Jean-Pierre declined to answer, deferring to the individual schoolâs leadership and law enforcement agencies.
âThat is a decision for colleges and universities to decide on. The law enforcement … they have a better sense of whatâs going on in the ground. And obviously, they have to make decisions.â
Asked if the president was aware of the unenrolled protesters, Ms. Jean-Pierre said she could not speak to that, directing the question to local law enforcement.
The White House press secretary also declined to answer whether the president wanted his administration to find out who is funding some of the protests.
âI cannot speak to the organizations that are being reported,â she said.
Local officials would have better information on that, she said, and the Department of Justice and FBI would continue to offer support to colleges and universities âwith respect to federal laws.â
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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