Conservative House lawmakers were at the center of a heated debate Wednesday as they sparred with protesters at George Washington University (GW).
Representatives such as Lauren Boebert, Byron Donalds, and Anna Paulina Luna faced off against vocal demonstrators at the university’s pro-Palestinian encampment.
Despite repeated calls from the university for its removal, the encampment remains.
Read: UNC Students Defy Attempt By Pro-Hamas Protesters To Tear Down The American Flag
Videos circulating on social media capture the intense moments when Republican lawmakers engage with hecklers at the GW encampment.
In one such video, Representative Lauren Boebert can be seen tugging at a Palestinian flag draped over a statue of George Washington.
Visibly frustrated, she instructs those around her to remove the flag, emphasizing that the statue is federal property.
Another lawmaker, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, addresses the encampment in front of a swarm of protesters and reporters.
Despite being repeatedly shouted down, Donalds asserts the Oversight Committee’s legislative authority within Washington, D.C., and calls on Mayor Muriel Bowser to support GW’s request for the encampment’s removal.
Read: Alan Dershowitz: How Many Campus Protesters Will Turn Terrorist Themselves?
While the lawmakers argue for the removal of the encampment, protesters defend their right to peaceful protest and freedom of speech.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna draws attention to the distinction between the situation in Palestine and the protests at GW, asserting that there are professionally organized protesters who are not students.
Rep. Luna condemns actions that intentionally prevent others from receiving an education and displays signs promoting hate speech.
Read: UF Tells Pro-Hamas Protesters “The University Of Florida Is Not A Daycare”
While protesters argue for their right to express their views, lawmakers stress the importance of maintaining order and upholding university policies.
Meanwhile, in Florida, the University of FLorida took a different approach to protesters.
The demonstrations gained momentum on social media platforms, mobilizing individuals from both within and outside the UF’s campus.
UF officials were quick to respond to the protests, issuing warnings about prohibited activities during demonstrations.
The university made it clear that it would not tolerate any form of violence, threats, or disruptions. Students and employees found violating these rules faced severe consequences, including suspension and termination.
“This is not complicated: The University of Florida is not a daycare, and we do not treat protesters like children — they knew the rules, they broke the rules, and they’ll face the consequences,” university spokesman Steve Orlando said in the statement.
According to the statement, “many” protesters on campus were “outside agitators,” and that university police had reminded demonstrators of the restrictions.
According to the university, demonstrators who engage in “clearly prohibited activities” will be issued trespassing orders by police, barring them from university premises for three years, as well as “interim” suspensions from UF.
Read: Florida Supreme Court To Hear Arguments In UF COVID Shutdown Case
A document released last week and extensively shared on social media outlined permitted protest activities as well as prohibited measures. Speech, “expressing viewpoints,” and “holding signs in hands” were all mentioned as acceptable activities.
The use of amplified sound, demonstrations within buildings, camping, building construction, interruptions, threats, and violence were all prohibited actions.
Despite the warnings, nine individuals were arrested by the University Police Department (UPD) and the Florida Highway Patrol. Charges ranged from failure to obey a lawful command to trespass after warning. One protester even faced charges of battery after spitting on an officer.
Gov. Ron DeSantis praised Florida UF’s response to the protest during a press conference in Naples on Tuesday morning.
“The University of Florida, Florida State, our universities have been very strong in saying, ‘You can say what you want, but you don’t have the right to commandeer territory, you don’t have the right to harass students or faculty or any of that. And if you do violate (the) code of conduct, we’re going to show you the door. You will be expelled,’” DeSantis said.
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