President Joe Biden refused to answer questions following a short speech about the pro-Palestine protests taking place on college campuses across the country, RadarOnline.com can report.
President Biden delivered remarks about the pro-Palestine protests taking place on college and university campuses across the country on Thursday morning from the White House.
According to Biden, the United States “is not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent.”
“Peaceful protest is the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues,” the president said during his three-minute speech on Thursday morning. “But neither are we a lawless country.”
The 81-year-old commander-in-chief then condemned the “violent protests” that are taking place on some college campuses across the country while also upholding American citizens’ right to peaceful protest.
“Let me be clear: Violent protest is not protected,” President Biden said. “Peaceful protest is.”
“It is against the law when violence occurs. Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It is against the law,” he continued. “Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation. None of this is a peaceful protest.”
President Biden concluded his short speech by promising to “always defend free speech” and “always be just as strong for standing up for the rule of law.”
However, at the end of Biden’s remarks from the White House, he refused to take more than two questions following the conclusion of his speech. Instead, President Biden closed his binder and immediately started to leave the room.
“Have the protests forced you to reconsider any of the policies with regard to the [Gaza] region?” one reporter asked as Biden walked away.
“No,” he responded as he made his way toward the exit.
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“Do you think the National Guard should intervene?” another White House reporter asked.
“No,” Biden repeated as he exited the room.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, President Biden’s remarks on Thursday mark the second time he has responded to the pro-Palestine protests taking place across the country since they first began last month.
Biden previously responded to the protests on April 22.
"I condemn the antisemitic protests,” he said at the time. "I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians."
Meanwhile, the protests have since turned violent. One group of pro-Palestine protestors successfully occupied Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall for almost 24 hours earlier this week, while other protestors clashed with police at the University of California, Los Angeles.
“There is the right to protest,” Biden emphasized on Thursday morning, “but not the right to cause chaos.”