Hawley Calls on Biden to Deploy National Guard to Protect Jewish Students at Columbia Amidst Antisemitic Protests

Republican Senator Josh Hawley has penned a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to deploy the National Guard to safeguard Jewish American students at Columbia University from ongoing protests. The protests, described by Hawley as “illegal pro-Hamas demonstrations,” have prompted the cancellation of in-person classes during Passover. Hawley cites Biden’s statement condemning antisemitism and calls for action to match those words. He invokes the deployment of the National Guard in 1957 to protect black students attending Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas, and urges similar action to protect Jewish students at Columbia and other campuses where they face risk.

Cotton and Hawley Demand Biden Deploy National Guard Against Columbia Pro-Palestine Protests

Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) have called on President Joe Biden to deploy the National Guard to suppress pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. The senators have accused the protesters of engaging in “nascent pogroms” against Jews, although there have been no reports of antisemitic violence stemming from the protests.

Biden has not responded to the demands, but 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. Dozens of protesters, many of them students, were arrested and indefinitely suspended.

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.

GOP Senators Call for National Guard Deployment on College Campuses Amid Pro-Palestinian Protests

Republican Senators Josh Hawley and Tom Cotton have urged President Biden to deploy the National Guard to universities, including Columbia University in New York City, to quell pro-Palestinian protests. They argue that the protests are causing disruption and targeting Jewish Americans, likening the situation to the 1957 Little Rock Central High School integration crisis. Cotton has also called for the Biden administration to break up pro-Palestinian groups on Columbia’s campus if New York authorities fail to intervene. The protests have drawn national attention and have spread to other universities.

GOP Senators Demand National Guard Deployment at Colleges Amid Pro-Palestinian Protests

Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Tom Cotton have called on President Biden to deploy the National Guard to colleges, especially Columbia University, where pro-Palestinian protesters have staged disruptive demonstrations. Hawley compared the situation to the 1957 Little Rock High School integration crisis and urged federal intervention to protect Jewish students. Cotton advocated for breaking up the protest groups if local authorities fail to control the situation.

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