Steve Garvey, one of the final two candidates for California鈥檚 U.S. Senate seat, called pro-Palestinian protesters who build encampments on college campuses 鈥渢errorists,鈥� as tension over the Gaza war intensifies.
Garvey, a Republican, made the statements Thursday in Los Angeles about the University of Southern California 鈥� a day after police arrested on campus on trespassing charges during a Wednesday.
The event was part of the latest nationwide wave of student-led protests at public and private colleges and universities as the humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza during the Israeli offensive in response to the that in Israel. For months, demonstrators have been calling for a permanent ceasefire in the war that has in Gaza.
Some students are pressuring their university leaders to . The demonstrations sparked clashes between police officers and protesters and led to arrests of activists across campuses, with some Columbia University students filing a against law enforcement.
At the University of Southern California, tension has been brewing for more than a week after administrators , after a pro-Israel group deemed her social media post of a pro-Palestinian link antisemitic, . Today, its main-stage commencement entirely.
On Wednesday, students built tents where the commencement was supposed to take place, with some holding up 鈥淔ree Palestine鈥� signs, the Los Angeles Times reported. The university鈥檚 Hillel Foundation, a Jewish organization, condemned some of the chants as antisemitic, while the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Los Angeles, a Muslim advocacy group, criticized the university for a 鈥渧iolent crackdown鈥� and 鈥渦se of excessive forces鈥� against free speech.
Thursday, Garvey waded into the debate. Making a rare public appearance after the March 5 primary, he claimed that the protesters supported terrorists, calling the USC protest 鈥渢errorism disguised as free speech鈥� without pointing to any specific language used by demonstrators.
The even if they sound extremely 鈥渕enacing鈥� or 鈥渢hreatening,鈥� according to Michelle Deutchman, executive director of the National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement at the University of California.
鈥淭hese organizations aren鈥檛 by kids in dormitories who are making a statement that they probably don鈥檛 really understand what it鈥檚 about. This is organized support of terrorism,鈥� Garvey claimed. 鈥淚 believe demonstrations that allow people to build encampments that obstruct the pathway to classes, and the opportunity to learn, is terrorism.鈥�
Garvey鈥檚 campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry for evidence supporting claims of protesters鈥� ties to terrorism, which the defines as involving unlawful use of violence to 鈥渋ntimidate or coerce鈥� the government or civilians to advance a political or social agenda.
Garvey said he would support charging protesters with terrorism if the Los Angeles District Attorney鈥檚 office decided to do so. When asked if the office plans to bring those charges, spokesperson Venusse Dunn said: 鈥淲hen law enforcement presents a case to our office, we apply the law to the facts of each case and determine what charges, if any, are appropriate.鈥�
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