US President Joe Biden has addressed the recent protests and violence at American college campuses, which arose due to tensions over the conflict in Gaza. In his remarks, President Biden affirmed the importance of peaceful dissent, which is fundamental to democracy, and rejected calls to deploy the National Guard. He urged that protests should not escalate into disorder, maintaining his support for Israel in the process. This situation has gained political attention, with former President Donald Trump criticizing Biden for not denouncing the campus violence. President Biden is scheduled to visit Morehouse University on May 19 to deliver a commencement address.

In New York City, following campus protests resulting in the arrest of 282 individuals, Mayor Eric Adams is under scrutiny for not releasing details regarding the involvement of “outside agitators.” Although Adams has suggested that these external elements exacerbated the protests, he has not provided a detailed breakdown of the arrestees. The NYPD revealed that 173 arrests occurred at City University protests and 109 at Columbia University. Questions have been raised about the police’s aggressive response, and debates about transparency and accountability continue, especially after comments made by Nahla Al-Arian, whose presence at the protests was based on seeking justice for Palestine rather than inciting violence.