Amid college protests and arrests over Gaza, White House says: 'We don't want to see anybody hurt'
Source: ABC News
April 28, 2024, 9:57 AM
As protests over Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza continue at various colleges and universities across the country, the White House says that President Joe Biden respects the right of demonstrators to make their voices heard -- peacefully -- and "we don't want to see anybody hurt in the process" as some protests are met with police crackdowns.
"The president knows that there are very strong feelings about the war in Gaza. He understands that, he respects that, and as he has said many times, we certainly respect the right of peaceful protest. People should have the ability to air their views and to share their perspectives publicly, but it has to be peaceful," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told ABC News "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.
Kirby did sound a warning, though, that some language heard in the mushrooming demonstrations crossed a line with the administration.
"We absolutely condemn the antisemitism language that we've heard of late, and we certainly condemn all the hate speech and the threats of violence out there. These protests, we understand they're important, but they do need to be peaceful," he said.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/amid-college-protests-arrests-gaza-white-house-hurt/story?id=109720083
