[captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2024] host this is washington journal. Protests continue at colleges and universities this week as administrators try to handle student activism. To start the program, we went to hear your view 202 7488000 of those protests. At College Campuses. The line for support is we want to hear your views of the protests at College Campuses. For support is the line for support is 202 7488000. You can text us at 202 7488003. We will get to your calls and comments in just a moment. A headline about those protests. They persist as unrest mounts. Authorities arrested around 200 people. Student groups resisted orders to break down encampment while some universities pointed to antisemitic acts committed on their campus. Student groups are demanding cutting financial ties to israel , define pressure from administrators to disperse. It has prompted schools to do away with graduation ceremonies. The university of Southern California is one of those schools that has canceled their graduation ceremonies. Here is the valedictorian talking about her meeting and what they told her about canceling the event. They did not tell you about any specific threats. My asking about any potential threats was denied. It led me to consider whether the decision to revoke my speech was made on the basis of safety alone. You know if there was a concern for your safety or the safety of other students . Safety is a priority for all students, including myself, so it was not made clear to me because i received no details about what these threats were directed to. This is not a freespeech issue. Du view it that way . I think i expressed an opinion through a link that i had on my instagram, the hate and vitriol that was unleashed towards me after was part of the reason why the university caved in. Sure, maybe my speech is a privilege, and it is a privilege i do not take lightly. At the end of the day, my views, the views that i have expressed and that usc has instilled within me as well were stifled and subject to hate. He brought up a link that was posted on your social media page. I wanted to ask you about that. One of the items in the post called for the complete abolishment of israel. Is that a position that you endorse . If youre asking me if i stand for human right, equality, unequivocal and unconditional right to life for all people, including palestinians, than i am not apologetic. Host we will go first to little in baltimore. Caller good morning. It is a pleasure to speak with you again. These Young Students they are not going to adhere to the status quo. Israel does have the right to exist. We cannot just uproot a country in this day and time. Its but if you do your research , history does not the palestinians have been living on that land for centuries, through the Ottoman Empire and what have you. Israel has taken over that land. Here we are today, still funding genocide and that culture over there. Israel has never tried to come up with a two state solution. Benjamin netanyahu has been a thorn in that quest. We call israel a democracy. Benjamin netanyahu has been in power for years. What kind of democracy is that . I support the students. Stop trying to silence them. Stop beating them over the head and what have you. They have the right to protest. Thank you for taking this call again. Host go ahead, and. Caller i called to say that i oppose the current tactics in philadelphia. Some of the models used in some of these diluted the effort. Instead, i would like to suggest that we heighten the contradictions that began to occupy the real estate. Throughout the cities that they occupy. Used to wield political power. Ifhe are going to teargas erybody anyways, you might as well go for it. Host we do remind our callers to watch your language. Caller good morning cspan. I support the students. I will tell you why. America has a rich history of protesting. Protests in the vietnam war. In the 1980s, it was all about antiapartheid. From texas, georgia, florida, to new york. I always wondered what happened to the woodstock generation. The hippies w protested against the syste. I talked to them. I see what happened. But this is what these kids are doing. The best and brightest future of america. [indiscernible] the world has to stand up. If we do not stand up now Columbia University, massachusetts. Thank you for taking my call, cspan. Host barry. Caller i would like a speaker, valedictorian. Rights were imposed. They are doing the same thing against the jewish students where they are refusing to allow them an opportunity to express their position. When i was in college, it was a discussion, back and forth. Educate me, i will try to educate you. And then the other part of it is the hate speech. I do not understand how understand that you are asking for the abolishment. If that is not hate speech, comments for the death of 10 Million People . I do not understand it. I am embarrassed as a citizen of the u. S. That this has gone on. I do not understand how they are allowing this. Host from the new york times, the headline is unmasked. From coasttocoast, colleges are grappling with a groundswell of students activism. Administrators are happy to make tough decisions over whether to call in police. Goes on to say hundreds of protesters have already been arrested across the country. Police and protesters have reported being injured. In many cases, the arrests have been peaceful and protesters have willingly given themselves up when officers move in. We will go to tom. Caller yes, maam. My solution is simple. I am a combat veteran from vietnam. Our nation needs law and order. Without a First Amendment, we would not have much. Host tom, can you turn down your tv active we lost him. Good morning, keith. Caller i wholly support the students. They represent the best and brightest in the nation. It is just jawdropping. All they are doing is showing solidarity. I am completely supportive of the students. They are the best of all of us. The administrators are sicking the police on students. They call it clashing with the police, which is hiding and concealing the class dynamics involved in this. They are not clashing with the students. They are having the police being sick to on them by the oligarchy , who is absolutely terrified about the protest because they understand that this could lead to something bigger. The whole system is in jeopardy, if they do not clamp down now. Many people we think the system is of no use to most people. We support a revolution. I completely support the students. Host we will go to frank in ohio. Caller good morning. I do not know. I think americans are kind of dumb. We stick our nose into everything. When we do not know what is really going on. Who do you believe . Do you believe the palestinians or israel . I understand the land issue and everything, but you do not have the right to say nothing on either side, unless you have lived in either country for a year or so. You know what the truth is. Between their governments, our government, the politicians, the money hungry people in colleges and everything. Why would any of us believe that . As far as being the best and the brightest, i do not believe that. If you ask them what is going on over there, they would just tell you what they have heard. Youre causing all this violee over something you have heard and do not even know it is true either way . It is just crazy. We need to stop. Let everybody figure out their own deal. Host a couple colleges brought up comparisons to events on campus is from the opinion page, it talks about kent state and at Columbia University in 1968. We will go next to 10 on the opposed line. Caller good morning. I oppose the protest. I would round them all up and give them a oneway ticket back to gaza. I am retired military. Have a good day, america. Host we will go to can on the opposed line. Caller hello. I have written several books on the situation in israel. What is called palestine. I would very much like to point out, where were the students when aside in syria killed 500,000 arabs in his situation . Where were they when aside the elder killed 30,000 arabs and Muslim Brotherhood members in his reign . Where were they when they committed genocide against syria . I do not understand how all of a sudden, in the midst of a response to a genocide by hamas, who promises to commit more genocide where were the students come these inspired, wonderful people who want to have peace and goodwill in the world . Where were they protesting those genocides that have been committed and continue to be committed. Hussein killed one million persians and arabs in his reign of terror during the iraq iran war. I do not understand how these people can mention genocide when they have no conception about what genocide is. Again, let them go back and see what happened in germany. By the by, we are saying they were there during the holocaust and promoting holocaust in the middle east. Host people are texting in. Also tweeting in from our post. One says, i support those standing up for the for human rights and truth. Another says, i read beds that have the same comparison. The imperative is to be antiaggression and approach humanity. They deserve a good life. War is never the answer. And also on facebook, support. House Speaker Mike Johnson was up at Columbia University this week speaking about the protest. Here are some of the comments he made. [video clip] this simple truth. Neither israel nor these jewish students on this campus lever stand alone. Today, hamas issued a statement. They called them the future leaders of america. All of this has to be said because the chairs tradition are being overtaken right now by radical and extreme ideology. It is like a target on the backs of jewish students. A growing number of students have chanted in support of terrorists, chased down jewish students, mocked them and reviled them. They have screamed at those who bear the star of david. Enjoy your free speech. They have told jewish students who wear the star of david to leave the country and shamefully, some professors and faculty have joined the mob. Things have gotten so out of control that the school has canceled inperson classes. Colombia has allowed these lawless agitators to take over. The virus of antisemitism has spread. By some counts as 200 universities are under protest right now. Host adam. Caller good morning. I am not sure. I have mixed feelings about the issue. I am an alum of Columbia University. I recognize the activities on the campus. I do support the right to protest and exercising their First Amendment right. However, i think we have to recognize that a line has to be drawn with that free speech extend into hate speech and intimidation, which is what i think we are seeing on the campus. As an alum, i am very disappointed to see how ignorant many of the students are when asked about the conflict. They do not know much about the history of the region. It is very disappointing. There was a little bit of an irony here. I wanted to just underscore many of the students who are testing our part of an Ideological Movement of wokism and to culture, which has long been unwilling to support free speech. They have advocated for safe spaces and for environments where student are comfortable. These are students who have advocated for safe spaces, who are gauging in intimidation and hate speech. I find that a little ironic. It might be telling that the speech that they are engaging in , despite formally advocating for safe spaces, they are using speech that engages with the ideology of antisemitism. In their mind, if we put two things together, clearly we need to protect people against speech that is harmful. Host you said that you were an alum. What you think of how the administration has handled the situation so far . Caller im a little disappointed in the administration. I let the that. As have many other alumni because they sent emails notifying them. I do not think they should be clearing the campus of protesters. It is not what i am critical of. I do not think they should be canceling classes. Canceling classes enables protesters and their intimidation of student. The fact that they are canceling classes and having them virtually allows them to continue the intimidation by the protesters. Engage with the protesters. Tell them, this is what you have learned in core curriculum about what constitutes free speech and what crosses a line . You cannot have your fellow students study for finals and finish out the semester. It is very disappointing. The students, what constitutes free speech . Host we will go next to ivan on the support line. Caller good morning. So, basically the reason why i support the students is that it has been written down on big posters asking these colleges to digress against israel. Basically, the colleges are acting as essentially a hedge fund that after 1970, they wanted to charge students for tuition after denouncing communism. Saying the movements were too radical. If i remember correctly, basically saying that a lot of the students that were protesting at the time it was an unjust war. Sorry. It is a little cold in my room. Essentially, the students have been met with police repression, which is a form of fascism. It is a system of segregation. The Palestinian People are very diverse people. They are all kind of labeled as muslims. And kind of generalized. It is really nice to see that people all over the country were students on the streets i support the students. Host we appreciate your call. We will go to michelle on the opposed line. Caller good morning. I would like to make two points. I am calling in opposition of the protest. Number one, they are not protests. This is hate filled speech. It is inciting violence and it is antisemitic speech. It is against the jews. So, no. For a university to support that and faculty to support it, even for politicians to support a, it is hate filled speech. This is not a protest of the 1960s. This is speech in support of annihilating the jews and in support of the actions of october 7, in practicality. Number two, my second point is, these protests this is part of last days spirit in this land. I say that as a christian because jesus was a jew. And the bible says that that land, god gave the jewish people that land. And for every christian to be in support of these protests and in support of the palestinians, who are speaking to the annihilation of israel and the jews. Next, they are going to come for christians because the body of christ, christianity is a very jewish religion. And the body of christ is made up of messianic jews and gentiles who have accepted jesus christ, who came as a jew. Host also on wednesday, White House Press secretary was asked about Speaker Mike Johnsons remarks at columbia i had a protest. [video clip] that is something for the board to speak to make that decision. Not going to comment on that. That is the speakers privilege, to speak for himself and what he sees. Look, i would say more broadly, this is a deeply painful moment for many communities. The president believes that free speech debate and nondiscrimination are important american values. The protests must be peaceful and students must be safe. When we see violent rhetoric, but you have to call that out. When we see intimidation or antisemitic remarks, we have to speak out. You saw that from the president s statement on passover. He talked about that, taking action and making sure that we are calling that out. We will continue to do that. We are implementing the First Ever National strategic effort to counter antisemitism because there should be no place in this country, when it relates to that type of heat. Host from the Washington Post, this headline. It talks about yards from the smiling graduates, students sit on rags and towels for a day of long protest, making for a jarring presentation. As demonstrations over the israel gaza war enter a second week, some students struggle to weigh the pomp and circumstance against the once in a generation protest. Looking for idyllic pockets of campus, they put on their cheery smiles. It goes on to talk about the encampment and says it is accessible through one gate that is blocked. It requires students to walk under a sign that puts forward the demands. Do not sees land that could be used for low Income Housing and stop targeting representation. We will go now to the camp in arlington, virginia kent in arlington, virginia. Caller site. From what i am hearing, there is a huge distortion about what this is about. The ones i look to were not he marches. I saw a diverse array of people host can you turn your tv down in the background . Caller sure. Sorry. Including jewish people, host did we lose you . We might have lost him. We will go to michael in pennsylvania. Hello, michael. Caller good morning. I wanted to follow up on what i think young man was trying to say. I am from a suburb of philadelphia. I called the not sure line because im not sure what some of these young people are saying , whether that qualifies as antisemitism. They might just be a little bit misguided. Many people with power in israel are american citizens. As a matter of fact, Benjamin Netanyahu he has five Social Security numbers. These people are not descendants of holocaust survivors. Revisionist zionism is characterized by but it actually refers to occupying not just traditional palestine the jordan as well. Many times when you hear people say from the river to the sea, it was originated by medical zionists. Even as dailies themselves will tell you this. I have yet to hear any of these young people express any direct antisemitic speech. If it scares some of the people calling, that is a problem for them, not protesters. Thank you. Host we will go to patrick on the support line. Caller good morning. I would like to say that they are killing their own cousins for a little bit of land. If anybody ever reads the new testament the student i actually correct. They should not oppress the people of palestine. It is sad to see them kill their own cousins for a little bit of land. That is all i have to say. Host john calling on the opposed line. Caller i am 77 years old and a veteran of the vietnam war. These protests are outrageous. This war would be over in 10 minutes, if the terrorists, eight or 10 of them as americans, we should be at war with these terrorists. We support israel instead of