Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) has praised the University of Florida’s handling of the viral campus protests happening across the United States, arguing that the school has been “on point” in its response.
Fetterman, one of the most vocal Democratic supporters of Israel , had been asked what the proper response to these college protests would be, with Fetterman pointing to Ben Sasse, the president of the University of Florida and former Republican senator of Nebraska. Sasse stated Sunday that under his leadership, the school has not negotiated with the “people who scream the loudest” while not hindering the free speech rights of the protesters.
“And I thought he was right on point on that,” Fetterman said on Fox News’s Special Report with Bret Baier. “It’s like, we can have protesters, we can have a space to allow that, but you can’t take over. We’re not going to listen to or respond to or let the fringe or the loudest kinds of voices to respond on that, and you can’t have damage, you can’t spit on cops, you can’t be allowed to stop things from happening. And I thought that’s exactly how it should be. It’s very much an American value to protest and free speech, but what you have manifested on the campuses now is not that.”
Regarding the protests itself, Fetterman said he was unsure what the demonstrators were even upset about, arguing that the protesters have gone from calling for a ceasefire to outright calling for Israel’s harm. He added that the encampments are not contributing to peace in Gaza and that the protesters ought to be rallying against the Hamas terrorist group over Israel.
Last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) cautioned college students not to engage in antisemitic protests, arguing that “chasing” Jewish students or teachers is not free speech and would instead be harassment. He also condemned school administrations and presidents at other schools for not standing up for their Jewish students and professors, stating that the leaders are “weak” and “scared.”
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Fetterman has been outspoken about his support for Israel, attending a massive pro-Israel rally in Washington, D.C., in November. He has also criticized pro-Palestinian protesters for making public disruptions , arguing that blocking bridges or berating people in coffee shops “just makes you an a**hole.”
The multitude of campus protests happening across the country have been happening since last month, with the University of Massachusetts arresting 60 protesters on its own campus . Protesters on the campus had constructed a barricade around the encampment on the university’s south lawn, and said they would not leave until their demands were met, which included divesting from any partnerships with weapons manufacturers.
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