U.S. House Speaker, Mike Johnson condemns protesters' actions on Columbia University Campus
U.S, May 1, (Epicstorian News)- Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has condemned the ‘outrageous’ actions of protesters on Columbia University Campus, highlighting the need to ‘bring order to chaos’.
The speaker, Mike Johnson, said the violent protest, which he considered unconducive to learning students’ learning, was not the right thing on a “university campus envisioned for a place of higher education”.
Comprising students of different races, and not just the Jewish people, the US House Speaker raised concerns for the safety of every learner on the university campus.
He intiuted that the purpose of the protest was “maybe compromised”, but described the protesters’ demonstrations on the campus as “threatening and violent”.
“Literally the same symbols and messages they’re putting up. This is not the free expression of ideas,” Mr Johnson explained.
“This is not the use of the free marketplace of ideas for debate that would be healthy on a university campus that’s envisioned for a place of higher education. It is the opposite. This is threatening, violent, inciting speech, and it’s dangerous.
“And it is acknowledged by university administrators to be dangerous, as evidenced by their cancellation of classes.”
Mike Johnson said Jewish students were threatened to stay out of the campus, and called on the university leaders “to step up and say enough is enough”.
“They told Jewish students it wasn’t safe for them to come to campus. And then they came back with the hybrid model, which made it even worse.
“So ostensibly, if you’re non-Jewish, you can attend classes and come and take your final exams on campus. But if you’re Jewish, you might need to stay in your apartment. I mean, it’s really crazy what it’s come to.
“And we need, Ken, we need clarity on the issue for leaders at the university level, at the local, state, and federal level to step up and say enough is enough.”
Meanwhile, speaking on his view of International Criminal Court bringing possible charges against Israeli leaders, Mr Johnson warned that such would be “very dangerous development”.
“It’s a very dangerous development,” he said. “You’re seeing an all-out assault on the state of Israel and those of Jewish heritage and ethnicity, and it’s unacceptable.”
“The ICC, for them to take the step to suggest they would issue a warrant for the prime minister of the country, who’s in the midst of a war for the very survival of his nation, is unconscionable to us.
“And I will tell you, I spoke within the last hour to Secretary Blinken about this issue, and he confirmed that the position of the White House is our position as well.
“I’m glad that they are affirming that, and I suspect they will do that publicly later today.
“They are calling for the ICC to stand down.
He said issuing a warrant for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would unsettle peace and may be an “inoperate” measure by the ICC.
“Mr. Khan, who is in charge of that, has hinted that he might be issuing the warrants to be executed, and they’d better not do that, because that would unsettle the situation,” Mike Johnson revealed.
“It would be a terrible sign on the world stage, and I think that it would make US as a nation respond in kind to the ICC.
“I think there would be appropriate sanctions.”
He warned that the International Court of Justice (ICC )may face contrary response from the United States if it issues an arrest warrant against Netanyahu.
“I think that there is a bipartisan, I think, a group of senators and House members who would move expeditiously, and we might just turn the table on the ICC.
“They’d better be careful. You can hear that straight from me.”
Mr Johnson further disclosed plans to end encampments on campus, the occupation of buildings, the destruction of property.
“We sat down with the president of Columbia across her conference table and told her that,” he said.
“We have no intent here other than to bring order to the chaos, and they have a responsibility to do it.
“They are breaking the law. They are threatening fellow students. They are destroying property.
“This is not who we are in America.”
Reiterating the strength of the US ties with Israel, he said, “In our view, it’s the most precious ally that we have, the only democracy in the Middle East.”
“There’s a lot of reasons that we stand by Israel and always have and always must,” he added.
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