President Joe Biden has spoken out against the unrest and violence on various U.S. college campuses amid protests in support of Palestinians during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. In his statements, Biden emphasized adherence to peaceful forms of dissent and strongly condemned acts and rhetoric of violence, including antisemitism. The President pointed to the foundational American values of free speech and rule of law in relation to protests.

The protests, which began at Columbia University, New York City, have spread widely to include major universities such as Harvard and UCLA. These demonstrations, which started in the past two weeks, see students demanding that their institutions cut ties with Israel and halt support for companies involved in the conflict in Gaza. The student-led protests, marked by the occupation of buildings and setting up of encampments, have resulted in over 2,000 arrests nationwide. Students have clarified that the involvement of external agitators in the protests is unfounded.

Specific objectives of the demonstrators include calls for transparency regarding university investments and the cessation of research partnerships with Israeli-linked entities. According to reports, these protests have attracted global media attention, particularly in the Middle East.

Biden, addressing the confrontation between police and protesters at universities like UCLA and Columbia University, has rejected calls from some political figures, including former President Donald Trump, to forcibly disperse the demonstrations. Instead, he advocated for addressing the situation while maintaining order and respecting legal rights. The scale of the current student protests, while substantial and gaining international attention, does not match the intensity or scope of the student demonstrations seen during the Vietnam War era in the 1960s, which were marked by greater violence and upheaval.