As pro-Hamas and anti-Israel outside agitators join college students across the country with their protest of Israel’s ongoing military actions to eradicate the terror group Hamas as a result of the Oct. 7 massacre that left 1,200 Israelis dead, American lawmakers like Florida Senator Marco Rubio have denounced the “antisemitic riots on campuses” and are also calling for the revocation of visas of those foreign students who are partaking in violent and antisemitic actions.
It appears that the grounds for peaceful expressions have been transformed into violent scenes.
College campuses, including those of Columbia University and the University of Southern California (USC), have been vandalized, and the sense of safety and security students have traditionally enjoyed has now been compromised.
In an exclusive statement to The Floridian, Senator Rubio asserted that the individuals rioting “don’t just hate Israel,” but they also “hate America.”
“These antisemitic riots on campuses are disgusting. It’s important to understand though, these people don’t just hate Israel – they hate America, too. If any of those people came here on a student visa, the Biden Administration needs to revoke the visa. All the others should take Iran up on its offer of free tuition at Shiraz University,” stated Sen. Rubio.
The head of the Shiraz University in the Islamic Republic of Iran recently offered free tuition to any student in the U.S. who has been expelled for taking part in the violent pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Rubio also pointed out that about half of the protesters the NYPD recently removed and arrested at Columbia University “had zero affiliation” with the school.
At George Washington University, police arrested 33 protestors of which only 11 appeared to be college students.
Adding to Rubio's call to revoke foreign visas, other members of Congress are demanding an investigation into potential visa fraud at some of these aforementioned universities.
Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) recently cosigned a letter issued by Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) demanding investigations of visa fraud perpetrated by college administrators to protect international students who participated in illegal activity during the protests.
Among the notable incidents perpetrated by protesters include the occupation of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, which the New York City Police forcibly cleared. At the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), a large brawl broke out between pro-Palestine protesters and pro-Israel counter-protesters, which included incidents of throwing fireworks.
More ominously, police in Austin, Texas, discovered caches of weapons, including firearms, hidden by students and professional agitators at the University of Texas protests.
Ronni Hawk contributed to this story
