As protests continue, Ilhan Omar says Democrats' position on Israel-Hamas war could impact 2024 election
MINNEAPOLIS — University of Minnesota students are standing their ground, despite a pro-Palestinian protest camp getting cleared twice already this week.
After cops cleared out camps for the second time overnight and campus crews cleaned up the leftover graffiti, protesters returned Wednesday inside the student union and then outside.
"It's more, 'How could I not?' I mean, like, schooling is important. My education is important to me. But like, people's lives are more important," said Maggie Moynihin, a student at the university.
But as tensions at the U seem to cool, concerns from Jewish groups about the protests' messaging remain.
"Not all messaging, but some that are very eliminationist, that call for the destruction of Israel," said Benjie Kaplan, Executive Director of Minnesota Hillel. "We hope kids can get through finals safely. No physical danger."
Political pressure over the protests at campuses across the country is heating up.
Republican Congressman Tom Emmer shared a video of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar speaking to students on Tuesday, saying quote, "Once again, Ilhan Omar's pro-Hamas rhetoric solidifies the Democrat party as the pro-terrorist party."
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"I've given up on Emmer. His rhetoric has moved from criticism to hatefulness. And...it's bigoted," Omar told WCCO.
Omar admitted her party's position on the Israel-Hamas war could hurt them at the ballot box.
"We really benefitted from our ability to increase youth turnout in 2020 and my worry is that there is going to be a suppression with the youth vote," Omar said.
Political analyst David Schultz says these students could swing the presidential election.
"This election is going to come down to what a few swing voters in about five or six swing states do," he said. "Where are they going to go in November? Do they stay home on election day? Because if they stay home on election day, that helps Trump, because the Democrats need a very high turnout among young voters in order to be able to win the election."
"We call him genocide Joe for a reason," Moynihin said. "We're not going to vote for him. This isn't a better of two evils thing. It's evil and evil. I mean, that's why so many people voted uncommitted."