Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Wednesday it "was a beautiful thing to watch" New York police officers raiding a Columbia University building occupied by pro-Palestinian students, and called on officials to crack down on campus protests across the United States.
"New York was under siege last night," Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, praising the police officers for arresting about 300 protesters at Columbia and City College of New York who he referred to as "raging lunatics and Hamas sympathizers."
Trump comments addressed the spread of student protests against the war in Gaza across the U.S. in recent days, seeking to capitalize on concern over campus unrest.
Republican lawmakers have accused some university administrators of ignoring antisemitic rhetoric and harassment. Many student organizers say they are peaceful and have widely disavowed violence against pro-Israel counter-protesters, although some Jewish students have said they feel unsafe on campus and unnerved by chants they say are antisemitic.
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@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
Considering both sides of the student protests, how do you balance the line between freedom of speech and creating a safe campus environment?
@9M3KL5D2yrs2Y
maybe stop funding israel bombing little kids and students will stop protesting
Freedom of speech should not give someone the right to say something that will put others in danger. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
Can public safety measures justify the suppression of peaceful protests, in your opinion?
@9M3KRB62yrs2Y
Peaceful protests and more importantly expression of views is paramount to freedom of speech and a basic human rights. Anyone using this as a cover to commit crimes such as assualt or theft should be arrested and imprisoned.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
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