03:25Mandatory credit: The White House
US President Joe Biden broke his week-long silence over the pro-Palestine university campus protests, saying that 'order must prevail', during a short address in Washington DC on Thursday.
"We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent. The American people are heard. In fact, peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues. But, but, neither are we a lawless country. We are a civil society, and order must prevail," he said.
"This isn't a moment for politics. It's a moment for clarity," he continued. "So let me be clear. Peaceful protest in America. Violent protest is not protected. Peaceful protest is. It's against the law when violence occurs. Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations, none of this is a peaceful protest."
The address came more than a week after his last comments on the camps, which saw him hit out at 'antisemitic protests'.
"There should be no place on any campus, no place in America for anti-Semitism or threats of violence against Jewish students," Biden reiterated. "There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind whether it's anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or discrimination against Arab Americans or Palestinian Americans. It's simply wrong."
As he left the room, Biden said 'no' repeatedly to questions about whether the protests had forced him to change his approach to the Gaza war, or to send in the National Guard.
The president also stifled a cough on a number of occasions during the short speech. During his State of the Union speech in March, he reportedly coughed or cleared his throat around 30 times, although his doctor put it down to 'seasonal allergies'.
It came after police moved on Wednesday and Thursday to clear pro-Palestinian protest camps in UCLA and Columbia. Hundreds of arrests were seen in both New York and Los Angeles.
Media outlets reported that violence first flared at UCLA on Tuesday night after counter-protesters attempted to dismantle the camp.
The campus protests at universities across the US are calling for the institutions to cut ties with Israel amid the ongoing Gaza war.
'Order must prevail!' - Biden finally addresses campus protests as police clear UCLA, Columbia pro-Palestine camps
US President Joe Biden broke his week-long silence over the pro-Palestine university campus protests, saying that 'order must prevail', during a short address in Washington DC on Thursday.
"We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent. The American people are heard. In fact, peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues. But, but, neither are we a lawless country. We are a civil society, and order must prevail," he said.
"This isn't a moment for politics. It's a moment for clarity," he continued. "So let me be clear. Peaceful protest in America. Violent protest is not protected. Peaceful protest is. It's against the law when violence occurs. Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations, none of this is a peaceful protest."
The address came more than a week after his last comments on the camps, which saw him hit out at 'antisemitic protests'.
"There should be no place on any campus, no place in America for anti-Semitism or threats of violence against Jewish students," Biden reiterated. "There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind whether it's anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or discrimination against Arab Americans or Palestinian Americans. It's simply wrong."
As he left the room, Biden said 'no' repeatedly to questions about whether the protests had forced him to change his approach to the Gaza war, or to send in the National Guard.
The president also stifled a cough on a number of occasions during the short speech. During his State of the Union speech in March, he reportedly coughed or cleared his throat around 30 times, although his doctor put it down to 'seasonal allergies'.
It came after police moved on Wednesday and Thursday to clear pro-Palestinian protest camps in UCLA and Columbia. Hundreds of arrests were seen in both New York and Los Angeles.
Media outlets reported that violence first flared at UCLA on Tuesday night after counter-protesters attempted to dismantle the camp.
The campus protests at universities across the US are calling for the institutions to cut ties with Israel amid the ongoing Gaza war.
Mandatory credit: The White House
US President Joe Biden broke his week-long silence over the pro-Palestine university campus protests, saying that 'order must prevail', during a short address in Washington DC on Thursday.
"We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent. The American people are heard. In fact, peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues. But, but, neither are we a lawless country. We are a civil society, and order must prevail," he said.
"This isn't a moment for politics. It's a moment for clarity," he continued. "So let me be clear. Peaceful protest in America. Violent protest is not protected. Peaceful protest is. It's against the law when violence occurs. Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations, none of this is a peaceful protest."
The address came more than a week after his last comments on the camps, which saw him hit out at 'antisemitic protests'.
"There should be no place on any campus, no place in America for anti-Semitism or threats of violence against Jewish students," Biden reiterated. "There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind whether it's anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or discrimination against Arab Americans or Palestinian Americans. It's simply wrong."
As he left the room, Biden said 'no' repeatedly to questions about whether the protests had forced him to change his approach to the Gaza war, or to send in the National Guard.
The president also stifled a cough on a number of occasions during the short speech. During his State of the Union speech in March, he reportedly coughed or cleared his throat around 30 times, although his doctor put it down to 'seasonal allergies'.
It came after police moved on Wednesday and Thursday to clear pro-Palestinian protest camps in UCLA and Columbia. Hundreds of arrests were seen in both New York and Los Angeles.
Media outlets reported that violence first flared at UCLA on Tuesday night after counter-protesters attempted to dismantle the camp.
The campus protests at universities across the US are calling for the institutions to cut ties with Israel amid the ongoing Gaza war.