Veterans slam protests from anti-Israel ‘terrorists’: ‘A disgrace to the US’
Veterans react on ‘Fox & Friends’ to anti-Israel protests springing up on college campuses across the country.
A group of U.S. military veterans shared their disgust over the wave of anti-Israel protests spreading across college campuses.
"They're a disgrace to the United States of America. Burning flags, talking against the country. They're not happy here? Deport them like anybody else if they're not an American. It's a shame and a disgrace," a World War II veteran named George said on "Fox & Friends" Thursday.
"These veterans died and got injured and everything else, so they could protest against the United States of America and burn flags and everything else. Total disgrace."
ANTISEMITIC AGITATORS: WHAT PROTESTERS AT ELITE US UNIVERSITIES ARE SHOUTING
After protests rocked Columbia and Yale campuses, demonstrations broke out at the University of Texas-Austin and the University of Southern California Wednesday.
Anti-Israel agitators gather on Columbia University’s campus in New York City on Monday, April 22, 2024. The university announced that all classes would be held virtually today in response to the ongoing demonstrations on campus. (Peter Gerber)
The USC protest, called the "Gaza Solidarity Occupation," began Wednesday morning and was one of many such demonstrations taking place on college campuses across America.
The Los Angeles Police Department arrived at campus around 4 p.m. after agitators refused to follow the university's request to leave the area, Capt. Kelly Muniz said on X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday night.
After hours of clashing with campus police and the LAPD, the protest ended with 93 people arrested for trespassing.
"They're all nasty, nasty people. They've got nothing better to do with their lives than to say that. It's so disgusting," another veteran told Lawrence Jones at the Eagle Diner in Warminster, Pa., about 30 miles north of Philadelphia.
UT-Austin saw a similar demonstration. One hundred or more protesters gathered on the campus Wednesday to participate in an unruly anti-Israel demonstration.
The rowdy protests invited hundreds of onlookers, some of whom joined in on the anti-Israel chants on the school's South Lawn.
At least 20 individuals were arrested.
As the protests escalated and spread to more campuses, two veterans labeled the demonstrators "terrorists" for their support of Hamas as well as anti-American and anti-Israel rhetoric.
"They are a terrorist...self proclaimed. Every one of them," one veteran said.
"I believe in the First Amendment. However, there's constraints. And, the people that are protesting are terrorists, in my opinion," said another, adding that this is not what he fought for.
University leaders, local law enforcement and state officials have tried to reign in the demonstrations. Hundreds of arrests have been made across U.S. campuses this week alone. Some campuses have even closed down or moved all classes online due to the unrest.
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One veteran proposed, however, students should be expelled for participating in the demonstrations.
"They should be expelled, the ones that are the kids in school. Any [who have] come over on a foreign visa should be expelled and they should be deported. And the agitators should be not only arrested, but prosecuted and given time," the veteran reasoned.
"The only thing that'll stop this, is they've got to pay for it."
Fox News' Elizabeth Pritchett, Andrea Vacchiano and Bryan Preston contributed to this report.
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