Biden condemns "antisemitic protests" and "those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians"
CBSN
President Biden on Monday weighed in on the pro-Palestine demonstrations taking place at elite university campuses.
"I condemn the antisemitic protests," Mr. Biden told reporters after an Earth Day Event in Northern Virginia Monday. "That's why I've set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians." A reporter cut off the president's sentence before he could finish.
More than 100 people have been arrested at Columbia University since pro-Palestine protesters began occupying the grounds last week, and police arrested 45 protesters at Yale University on Monday after the demonstrators repeatedly refused to vacate the plaza voluntarily. Students at Yale and Columbia are calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and demanding their universities divest from companies connected to Israel. But some Jewish students at Columbia say many of the chants are antisemitic, and they're concerned about their safety.
When Los Angeles Police Department officers in riot gear arrived at the University of California, Los Angeles early Thursday, the anonymous messaging app Sidechat filled with posts trying to piece together what was happening: "Is everyone ok? I just heard like 8 cop cars go by," one post read. Others shared rumors about police action and outside agitators and pointed students to live streams to watch the events unfold.