MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski said Tuesday that the anti-Israel protests erupting on college campuses “look like January 6.”
The Palestine Solidarity Committee has organized anti-Israel demonstrations by building encampments on college campuses throughout the U.S., beginning at Columbia University. The demonstrations have led to hundreds of arrests following tumultuous clashes between the protesters and law enforcement.
“I’ll echo the horror that this does look like January 6. What a terrible example for our students,” Brzezinski said. “At the same time, these are young adults and the question is why do you choose to learn about the complexities of other situations around the world, but this one, you want to set up an encampment. This one, you want to scare people. This one, you want to come to the edge of violence or even go violent. This one, you risk your future and your education for.”
“See, I think these college students are missing the part where they need to see what’s going on around the country with these protests, that it’s now in the realm of violence, it’s in the realm of hatred whether some are peaceful or not, they need to watch the news, listen to different arguments and be adults or start learning to be adults and set up discussions and debates across college campuses or their colleges and universities are gonna have no choice but to expel them and ruin their future,” she continued.
Co-host Joe Scarborough called for violent students to be expelled and arrested if they commit crimes. He said the “white, woke kids” demonstrating and rioting on these campuses are unaware of what they are protesting.
“But this is virtue signaling of the worst order for, again, white, woke kids who have no idea what they’re talking about here. No idea other than what they’ve seen on TikTok,” Scarborough said. (RELATED: ‘Where Are The Adults?’: Scarborough Rages At University Leaders Amid Anti-Israel Protests)
Police have been forced to use chemical irritants as protesters have met them with violence. Footage shows a protester breaking a window of Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall door with a hammer as at least 200 people barricaded themselves in front of the building, according to CNN. There has since been a destruction of property on campus throughout the last several hours.
Nearly 80 people were arrested at the University of Texas at Austin and at Virginia Tech’s Graduate Life Center as demonstrators refused to disperse their encampments, CNN reported. At 35 people were arrested at the Cal Poly Humboldt campus in Northern California after the university issued a shelter-in-place order due to “continuing criminal activity.”
The Texas Department of Safety (DPS) and the Austin Police Department arrested about 50 people during an April 24 protest at the University of Texas-Austin. Footage showed at least one protester throwing poop at state troopers and a crowd comparing them and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to the Ku Klux Klan.
State troopers landed in a standoff with demonstrators as they refused law enforcement’s orders to disperse, footage posted by KXAN News’ Ryan Chandler showed.
The Emory Police Department and Atlanta Police Department said they were met with violence at Emory University and used chemical irritants, including tear gas, at an Apr. 25 anti-Israel demonstration. Police wrestled and detained several protesters, including the chair of the university’s philosophy department, as protesters refused to break up the encampment.
Antisemitic chants have blocked Jewish students from going to class and have led many to leave campus to ensure their safety. Rabbi Elie Buechler, who is associated with Columbia’s Orthodox Union Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, told Jake Tapper he sent a WhatsApp message to around 300 primarily Orthodox Jewish students “strongly” suggesting they leave campus, CNN reported.