Biden: Free speech and rule of law must be upheld in college protests

WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that freedom of speech and the rule of law must be respected in protests at college campuses over the war in Gaza.

“We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people and squash dissent.” Biden said in remarks at the White House. “But neither are we a lawless country. We’re a civil society. And order must prevail.”

In response to a reporter’s question, Biden said that the campus protests had not forced him to reconsider his policies in the Middle East. — Reuters