Mitch Daniels discusses with Fox News how to handle pro-Palestine protestors

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — As arrests of pro-Palestine protesters increased across the country, Fox News invited Mitch Daniels, former Purdue University president and former Indiana governor, to speak about possible strategies for how to handle protesting students.

Daniels, who led the university from 2013 through 2022 and currently is the chairman of the board for the Purdue Research Foundation, called for action.

“You need prosecutors who will actually act. It doesn’t take too many to send the right message,” Daniels said in the Fox News interview, emphasizing the need for action.

“I think this whole round of ruckus is here as a potentially as a very positive clarifying effect. It’s clarifying to students and their families which schools will protect their safety, which schools are serious about the academic enterprise," Daniels said during the Fox News interview.

The Journal & Courier called the Purdue Research Foundation in an attempt to speak with Daniels. He was not available.

Police and pro-Palestine protesters have clashed on university campuses like Columbia, UCLA, and the University of Texas at Austin, to name a few, leading to arrests of student and non-student protesters.

“It’s clarifying probably to Jewish-Americans where the real hate and the most dangerous and virulent antisemitism is located in this country," Daniels said in his interview. "And it is going to clarify to students those involved and those watching that there are consequences for violating clear rules and clear particular criminal laws.”

Universities and police should have been swift to respond to protesters, Daniels said.

“I think the right answer was to act more decisively, more promptly and again, a few object lessons, a few prompt expulsions, a few prompt prosecutions or at least filings of charges where something worse than breaking a campus rule was involved,” Daniels said in the interview. “It would have been very instructive and possible deterrent.”

Universities should not be negotiating with students about these issues, he told Fox News. But it is important for academic institutions to listen to students.

In comparison to protests occurring at other universities, Purdue's protesters have been calm and cooperative with university administrators as of Thursday. Only a few students have received retaliate actions from administrators in regard to the protest. Over the last week, the university has not called in the local police department to force the students off the Memorial Mall lawn.

Last week, Purdue Police Chief Lesley Wiete indicated that Purdue police will not get involved unless life or safety becomes an issue in the camps, or if the protest and camp disrupt classes or university business.

As of Thursday afternoon, Purdue students were still protesting and planned to continue until Purdue's commencement from May 10 through May 12.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Mitch Daniels discusses with Fox News how to handle pro-Palestine protestors