Cotton and Hawley Demand Biden Deploy National Guard Against Columbia Pro-Palestine Protests
Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) have demanded that President Joe Biden unleash the full force of the state’s National Guard to suppress pro-Palestinian student protests at Columbia University.
Cotton Accuses Protesters of ‘Nascent Pogroms’
Cotton, a self-avowed pro-First Amendment and anti-government repression senator, has described the protests as “nascent pogroms” against Jews — invoking the term used to describe historic massacres against Jewish communities.
Hawley Compares Protesters to Insurrectionists
Hawley, who was infamously photographed saluting protesters outside of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has compared the Columbia protesters to insurrectionists and urged Biden to call out the National Guard to protect Jewish Americans.
Biden Has Not Responded to Demands
Biden has not responded to the demands to invoke the National Guard against student protesters. However, Columbia University President Nemat Shafik has authorized the New York Police Department to clear an encampment of protesters occupying a central lawn of the campus.
Police Use Force Against Protesters
The use of police force has sparked outrage among students and faculty, and has led to calls for Shafik’s resignation. On Monday, Columbia announced that it would conduct classes virtually, citing concerns over the safety of Jewish students.
Cotton and Hawley Have History of Calling for Use of State Force
Cotton has a prolific history of calling for the use of state force — or even outright violence — to quell protests he disagrees with. In 2020, he called for the use of military force against protesters and wrote that there should be “no quarter for insurrectionists, anarchists, rioters, and looters.”
