GOP Senators Josh Hawley and Tom Cotton have called on President Biden to deploy the National Guard to universities, specifically to Columbia University in New York City, where pro-Palestinian protesters have organized sit-ins and other disruptive demonstrations to bring attention to the conflict in Gaza.
Hawley invoked the historical precedent of President Eisenhower sending the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957 to protect nine African-American students seeking to integrate Central High School. He urged Biden to similarly respond to the alleged threats faced by Jewish Americans at universities today, particularly at Columbia University.
Cotton echoed Hawley’s concerns, demanding that the Biden administration break up pro-Palestinian groups on Columbia’s campus if New York Governor Kathy Hochul fails to address the situation by deploying the New York National Guard. He emphasized the need to prevent further escalation, especially before Jewish students observe the Passover Seder.
Columbia University, where the escalating protests have garnered national attention, announced a shift to remote classes in an effort to de-escalate the tense atmosphere on campus. Jewish students have joined the protests, which aim to pressure the university to divest from companies profiting from the conflict in Gaza. Despite the university’s efforts, including the involvement of the New York City Police Department, arrests, and student suspensions, the demonstrations have persisted and spread to other institutions, such as Yale University where over 45 demonstrators were arrested on Monday.
