GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Speaking on the campus of the University of Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday condemned pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses across the country.
“We are here on the campus quad at the University of Florida, where there was an attempt to set up an encampment last week. And I know that we’ve seen this throughout the rest of the country where this has kind of become a common occurrence. Well, we don’t do that here in the state of Florida. And so they did have an encampment, and it lasted about a few minutes,” DeSantis said, flanked by state and university leaders.
MORE: 8 students, 8 other adults arrested by university police at UNF pro-Palestine protest, school says
As DeSantis spoke, chants could be heard from nearby protesters who had gathered behind a barrier for the speech.
Governor Ron DeSantis is joining us shortly for a press conference on UF’s campus. Pro-Palestinian protestors are also in attendance. Tune into @WCJB20 for the live stream. pic.twitter.com/Jrn0rBvcua
— Alexus Goings (@AlexusGoings) May 8, 2024
Tensions have ratcheted up in standoffs with protesters of the Israel-Hamas war on campuses across the United States and increasingly in Europe. Some colleges cracked down immediately. Others have tolerated the demonstrations. Some have begun to lose patience and call in police over concerns about disruptions to campus life and safety.
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“In the state of Florida, you do not have a right to commandeer property, you don’t have a right to go take over parts of the university. You don’t have a right to go after other students based on their ethnicity. And we’re going to ensure that that’s upheld in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “How many of them actually have studied the history of this? Very few. They’re just doing this because they think it’s a cheap cause.”
Governor DeSantis Makes Remarks at the Encampment-Free University of Florida https://t.co/Ps5Vh6yJVC
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 8, 2024
Since April 18, just over 2,600 people have been arrested on 50 campuses, figures based on AP reporting and statements from universities and law enforcement agencies after this latest anti-war movement was launched by a protest at Columbia University in New York.
RELATED: 33 are arrested at George Washington University as DC mayor’s congressional hearing is canceled
The war began when Hamas militants breached Israel’s defenses on Oct. 7 and swept through nearby army bases and farming communities, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Hamas is still believed to be holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others after most of the rest were released during a November cease-fire.
The war has killed over 34,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, and has driven some 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million Palestinians from their homes. Israel’s military campaign has been one of the deadliest and most destructive in recent history, reducing large parts of Gaza to rubble.