 "Police use a vehicle named \"the bear\" to enter Hamilton Hall from a public street, which was occupied by protesters, as other officers enter the campus of Columbia University, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in New York City, U.S., April 30.- Reuters")
Amid ongoing protests against Israeli military operations in Gaza at prominent universities across the US, India said on Thursday that there has to be right balance between freedom of expression, a sense of responsibility, and public safety in every democracy.
Reports from UCLA police indicate that over 200 individuals were arrested at a pro-Palestinian encampment on the UCLA campus as protesters resisted officers on Thursday.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said “We have seen reports on the matter and have been following related events. In every democracy, there has to be the right balance between freedom of expression, sense of responsibility and public safety and order,”
Replying to a question, he said that democracies in particular should display this understanding regarding other fellow democracies. Afterall, we are all judged by what we do at home and not what we say abroad," he said.
Jaiswal said neither the Indian embassy in Washington nor any Indian consulate in the US has been approached by Indian students or their families seeking assistance regarding any disciplinary action for participation in protests in the universities.
“We expect all our citizens at home and abroad to respect local laws and regulations,” he said.
Republican lawmakers have accused some university administrators of ignoring antisemitic rhetoric and harassment. Many student organizers say they are peaceful and have widely disavowed violence against pro-Israel counter-protesters, although some Jewish students have said they feel unsafe on campus and unnerved by chants they say are antisemitic.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip and the ensuing Israeli offensive on the Palestinian enclave have unleashed the biggest outpouring of U.S. student activism since anti-racism protests in 2020.
With inputs from agencies.