In a bold move, GOP Sens. Josh Hawley and Tom Cotton have called on President Biden to deploy the National Guard to colleges, specifically targeting Columbia University in New York City. The senators are urging this action in response to pro-Palestinian protesters staging sit-ins and disruptive activities to draw attention to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Hawley took to social media to make his plea, referencing former President Eisenhower’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Little Rock in 1957 to protect African-American students. Cotton echoed this sentiment, calling on the Biden administration to intervene if New York Gov. Kathy Hochul fails to control the situation.
The senators are demanding immediate action to prevent what they describe as “nascent pogroms” at Columbia, urging the deployment of the National Guard to break up the protests. This call for intervention is reminiscent of Cotton’s previous call for federal troops to address protests following George Floyd’s murder in 2020.
The situation at Columbia has escalated to the point where classes are now being held remotely to diffuse tensions on campus. Despite efforts by the university and law enforcement to disband the protests, the demonstrations have continued and spread to other universities like Yale.
As the conflict between pro-Palestinian protesters and university officials intensifies, the call for National Guard intervention raises questions about the balance between free speech and public safety on college campuses. The outcome of this situation remains uncertain as tensions continue to rise.