On the 7th, which is Holocaust Remembrance Day marking the genocide of Jews by the Nazis during World War II, President Joe Biden of the United States repeatedly sent warning messages about the pro-Palestinian protests in American universities that are turning into anti-Semitism.
Nonetheless, the protests are spreading beyond American universities to Europe.
President Biden, in his annual Holocaust memorial speech at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. on this day, which is also the day when Nazi Germany, which sparked World War II, signed the surrender document, pointed out that people already forget the horrific Hamas terror on October 7 last year, even though only seven and a half months have passed, not 75 years. He said that never happen again, which means the genocide of 6 million Jews should never happen again, which means never forget.
President Biden continued, “Jews around the world are still dealing with the atrocities, trauma, and aftermath of that day, and anti-Semitism is increasing violently in the U.S. and globally. Harassment of Jewish students in U.S. colleges, and posters and slogans calling for the destruction of Israel, the only Jewish state, are rampant.”
He emphasized, “Too many people are denying, trivializing, rationalizing, and ignoring the Holocaust and the horror of October 7.”
Biden said, “We must not provide a haven for hatred towards anyone. We are well aware that scapegoating and demonizing minorities threaten the foundation of all minorities and democracy.”
He continued, “While the U.S. respects and protects the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, to disagree, and to protest peacefully, there is no place for any kind of anti-Semitism, hate speech, or violence in any U.S. college or anywhere else.”
He added, “Violent attacks and property damage are not peaceful protests but are illegal,” adding, “The United States is not a lawless nation but maintains the rule of law through a civil society.”
President Biden, seemingly conscious of his disagreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, said, “My commitment to the safety of Jews, the security of Israel, and the right to exist as an independent Jewish state is as solid as ever, even when we disagree.”
Starting from Columbia University in New York last month, pro-Palestinian anti-war tent protests have spread across campuses throughout the United States, resulting in approximately 2,600 arrests across 50 universities to date, as reported by the Associated Press.
The tent protests and demonstrations are also spreading across Europe.
German police disbanded hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who occupied the Free University of Berlin campus. At the University of Leipzig in eastern Germany, about 50 demonstrators pitched tents and occupied classrooms, according to reports from AP and DPA.
Dutch police entered the University of Amsterdam this morning to remove the tents and arrested 125 out of about 3,000 demonstrators. However, AP reported that the demonstrators occupied another university building in Amsterdam a few hours later.
In the UK, the Pitt Rivers Museum at Oxford University and King’s College at Cambridge University are beginning to see dozens of protest tents, as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported.
In addition, pro-Palestinian anti-war protests are continuing in France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, and Finland.
The demonstrators hung banners and slogans saying Viva Palestine, Free Palestine, and Gaza Solidarity Camp.
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