(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden urged those involved with ongoing college protests over the war in Gaza to remain peaceful, adding that he doesn’t think a National Guard presence is necessary.
The president addressed the nation from the White House on Thursday morning, denouncing antisemitism and racism. The protests haven’t swayed his positions on the region, he said.
“Dissent is essential to Democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder,” Biden said.
Pro-Palestinian protesters on campuses including Columbia University, Yale and the University of California, Los Angeles have been calling for the schools to divest from Israel.
Earlier this week, police arrested 292 people — 173 at The City College of New York and 119 at Columbia — NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said during a news conference Wednesday.
“There’s the right to protest but not the right to cause chaos,” Biden said. “Let’s be clear about this as well: There should be no place on any campus and no place in America for antisemitism and threats of violence … it’s simply wrong. There’s no place for racism in America.”
Political figures including former President Donald Trump have been critical of Biden for not speaking on the matter sooner.
“This isn’t a moment for politics,” Biden said. “It’s a moment for clarity.”