California Republicans call for action on college campus protests
SACRAMENTO - Republican legislative leaders are calling for more action against administrators on college campuses where protests have turned violent.
On Thursday Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones and Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher want the state to withhold funding from administrators who allowed violence to occur on the encampments on college campuses.
The two made it clear that the budget cuts would not impact un-involved students, but they want accountability for what has been happening.
"We're interested in the administration being held accountable for this, we have no interest in the students who have nothing to do with these protests or the damages," said Jones. "We need to support them and make sure their funding stays in place and they get the education they are expecting to get."
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors were put in handcuffs in recent days as the protests escalated on college campuses across the country.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden condemned the violence on college campuses and said that order must prevail.
"I think what the president said was exactly right," said Gallagher. "You don't get to destroy property, you don't get to commit criminal acts on campus, no that's not free speech."
Governor Gavin Newsom called in CHP to restore order at UCLA and Cal Poly Humboldt this week, where they made hundreds of arrests.
Jones did not have an exact number on how much they are proposing to cut from administrators but he said a good place to start would be with the amount of state resources spent on restoring order is the penalty administrators should pay in a budget cut.
At Sacramento State, administrators gave the green light to protestors to keep their encampment up through May 8. This was an extension to the initial midnight May 1 date that was set when the encampment first popped up on April 29.
"I think anyone with a heart and a mind and eyes that has been witnessing what's happening to Palestine can see that's not right," said Ethos Deleon, one of the protestors from the community that has been camped out at Sac State.
The protests at Sacramento State have been mostly peaceful, but some Israeli students and staff are feeling intimidated.
"Definitely been feeling a bit worried and fearful," said Ilai Sirak, a third-year Israeli student at Sac State. "Worried that the encampment here would similarly evolve into a place of hate crimes, violence and antisemitism."
Republicans also want students found guilty of violent crimes on campuses to lose their Calgrants.
"Jewish students are afraid from walking through campuses," said English lecturer at Sacramento State Karen Levy. "Faculty are being barred from campuses."
Questions are still looming over how long encampments should be able to stay.
CBS13 asked one of the protestors at Sac State how long they planned to be there.
"Until our demands are met," said Deleon.
It is a fight for Palestine and over what demonstration is allowed under First Amendment rights.
"If that speech starts inciting violence, then I think that's problematic," said Sirak.
Governor Gavin Newsom's office gave this statement from the government:
"The law is clear: the right to free speech does not extend to inciting violence, vandalism, or lawlessness on campus. those who engage in illegal behavior must be held accountable for their actions — including through criminal prosecution, suspension, or expulsion."
Republican leaders said they will be discussing the actions they want to take through the legislative budget process in the coming weeks.