CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: President Joe Biden on Thursday defended the right to protest but insisted that order must prevail as college campuses across the country face unrest over the war in Gaza.
Dissent is essential for democracy,” he said at the White House. “But dissent must never lead to disorder.
The Democratic president also said the protests have not caused him to reconsider his approach to the war. Biden has occasionally criticised Israel’s conduct but continued to supply it with weapons.
Biden said the campus protests haven’t prompted him to rethink his Middle East policies, and he opposes sending in National Guard.
Republicans have tried to turn scenes of unrest into a campaign cudgel against Democrats.
Tension at colleges and universities has been building for days as some demonstrators refuse to remove encampments and administrators turn to law enforcement to clear them by force, leading to clashes that have seized attention from politicians and the media.
But Biden’s previous public comment came more than a week ago, when he condemned antisemitic protests and those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.