Protests in US universities likely to deal a heavy blow to Biden’s reelection
Police have been called in to campuses to arrest demonstrators in several US universities as student protests over the Palestine-Israel conflict have widened in recent days.
Chinese experts said on Wednesday the intensifying protests are likely to put the Biden administration in deep quagmire as they reflect US society’s boiling anger over the Biden administration’s Middle East policies.
Moreover, the young people’s dismay will deal a heavy blow to Biden’s reelection as the incumbent president relies heavily on their support, observers said.
Protests have been bubbling for months, but kicked into a higher gear after more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who were camped out on Columbia University’s upper Manhattan campus were arrested last week, AP reported.
“In Columbia University, basically all I hear is sympathy for the people in Gaza. Supporting Palestine is almost a political correctness at Columbia, the only difference is the degree of support. I hardly ever hear anyone actively supporting Israel,” said a Chinese student studying in Columbia University, who requested anonymity.
Overall, public fury over the US government’s support for Israel and its policy in the entire Middle East is boiling over. The widening student protests will have an impact on government policies, Lü Xiang, research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told the Global Times.
He said the Biden administration is mired in a dilemma as continuing to support Israel’s actions in Gaza will definitely lead to more bloody scenes that will shock the public.
If the demonstration activities worsen, and lead to violence, or even evolve into student protests against the US government, it will greatly impact Biden’s reelection, said experts.
According to the Harvard Youth poll conducted in March, Biden is losing support among young voters, as his handling of the Palestine-Israel conflict and other issues have spurred dissatisfaction among the group.