tv FOX and Friends FOX News April 30, 2024 4:00am-5:00am PDT
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daily news who say officers announce they would arrest and suspend anyone who cannot leave campus after an anti-israel protest. there are also reports of arrests at unc chapel hill and at columbia university, public safety officers say only students who live on campus and essential workers are allowed on the school grounds this after protesters took over academic building called hamilton hall, smashing the windows and bare cationd themselves inside. >> lawrence: according to reports, about a dozen protesters made it into the building with at least 200 blocking the entrance. some hanging banners. including one calling for intifada. >> student protest group says they will continue investigating and occupy that building until the school meets their demands, which they already said they won't, which includes divesting financial holdings linked to israel. the president says no we are not going to do it. >> brian: that's not going to happen. what will happen. bryan llenas joins us outside of
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columbia's campus right now. hey, brian. >> bryan: we are about 6 and a half hours, seven hours into this occupation of the academic building. hamilton hall here at columbia. you mentioned the university has now restricted access to this main campus to only students who live on this particular campus and dormitories. and essential personnel needed. that is the only people allowed that is a -- that's a change. that's different. usually the media was allowed in, at least for a couple hours in the middle of the afternoon it. doesn't look like that's going to happen today. a lockdown of the university to only those who live on campus and essential personnel. we will show you over here this is hamilton hall. this the is building right here on this corner occupied beginning at about 12:30 this morning. dozens of students are inside. they broke windows. they reportedly put black bags over the security cameras and they are inside there with sleeping bags and backpacks and they say they are going to stay there unless their demands are
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met. divestment from israel. transparency over how columbia is divesting their money. they want universal amnesty. they don't want to face any discipline at all for what the last couple of weeks of protests in particular, obviously now, which has escalated with this occupation of hamilton hall, which is home to the dean's office and undergraduate admissions. we have not heard anything yet from the university officially here. but they have signaled, obviously, a new phase in this. not only with issuing suspensions yesterday to student protesters at the inability encr 2:00. word here only allowing a limited number of people on this campus, we will see what happens. yesterday at about 8:00, we received an update from the university 8:30. we will see if we get that the nypd has not chinged their stance from as far as we can tell. we have not seen a number of forces or officers getting ready to move in or anything like that. it has been fairly quiet on that
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end. we have been told the nypd will only go in with f. columbia university gives them the go to do so. one more significant thing here with the timing, this is happening not only after the university began issuing suspensions and saying that commencement will happen, but, hamilton hall, which you see right here, and can you see the sign free palestine, one of the signs that the occupiers have unfurled here, this was the site of the 1968 protest here at columbia university in which hundreds of people were arrested, in fact, 86 protesters were arrested in 1968 for occupying this building for a week. will the university allow these folks to occupy this building for a week are they going to play deadline game they have been playing the last couple of weeks? negotiations? we don't know. we will see if this has now gotten to pint where the university is going to ratchet this up to the next level, guys.
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>> steve: well, bryan, the next level would be yesterday the president said anybody there after 2:00, we're going to suspend you. so, a couple of questions. why suspend? now that they have crossed the line. they have crossed the ruby con, they have vandalized a building, they held hostage some of the janitorial staff who say we were held hostage in there. why don't they start expelling people? the bigger question -- of course, that takes -- you got to go through a course, it's got to be adjudicated. ultimately of the people who got suspended since 2:00 yesterday, will they be allowed to graduate in two weeks? because the people inside the building say they are going to stay there until graduation. we have been told from the university those suspended will not be able to complete the spring semester and will not be able to graduate. i think it's important though you are hitting on this. because, frankly, something that's been under reported is the fact that so much faculty here at columbia has been
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supporting this effort. that has played a huge role in how this administration is handling. this we have had faculty wearing orange construction vests that are here even last night while these students stormed hamilton hall and occupied it were outside here. i mean, essentially supporting these students. offering them protection. you know, the faculty members have done this by way of the university's senate as well, which is a majority of faculty-run body and they have come out against university president and for these protesters not just students and. that has added another layer here. >> brian: thanks, bryan. we will talk to you again. if anything happens, we will break in. >> ainsley: any press conferences scheduled for today? >> brian: no. >> ainsley: the president should be speaking at some point. >> brian: he said he got an update from the university at 8:00 a.m. yesterday. that's when we found out about the 2:00 p.m. deadline. the 2:00 p.m. deadline is going
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in. i watched the professor on sunday he came out and said not only is he not against the protesters, is he in full support of the protesters. and he says they're doing the right thing. and the biggest mistake and the agreement among faculty of columbia. the biggest mistake the president made, number one, was selling them out in front of congress that day second biggest mistake was calling the cops. think about this. we're thinking that they understand that they should have cracked down earlier. is he thinking how dare you call the nypd. >> that's why the president got censured. >> lawrence: that was part of the negotiation, brian. people keep saying what are they going to do when this escalate. they held three people hostage we were talking off air at ucla six masked protesters in keffiyehs blocked a jewish student from going to the class. >> it's on video. >> lawrence: is this the video right here of the masks?
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>> steve: no, that's columbia. >> brian: toss to it, lawrence. >> lawrence: let's play it? >> let's go this way. you closed the entrance. we are ucla students. i have my i.d. right here. i'm being blocked off not by the security guard but by you two, you three. they are making a barrier wall. i'm going this way. this is what they do. everybody, look at this. i'm a ucla student. i deserve to go here. we paid tuition. this is our school. and they are not letting me walk in. >> lawrence: obviously we are talking about columbia this morning. but this is happening all across the country. he. >> brian: is he wearing the star of david. >> lawrence: star of david. i'm asking if the roles were reversed. say it's a black student trying to get in the classroom. >> brian: joe biden would be on the tv 24 hours. >> lawrence: every republican would be asked. every politician would be asked where is the moral clarity? where do you stand on this issue? why is it for the jewish population we're holding this into a different standard? >> ainsley: i saw a different video on social media this morning of a ucla student who
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was being attacked by a woman. she started flipping off the cameras. the campus security goes up to her. and they don't do anything. they are just circle her and talking to her. keep in mind we don't know if all of these are students. we interviewed two students. >> steve: you can tell they are wearing masks. >> ainsley: they say they have seen people give their student ids who were in favor of this to people off campus who are not students in order to allow them to get the green light to go on. and we interviewed paul mauro earlier, brian. you did. and he said the police will not go in until they are asked to go in. buns they get the call they have to go in. you get the call and go in. it's disorder control. they have a group that handles riots like this. and he also said they could track their phones with geo fencing. they could track the phones of everybody who is inside hamilton hall right there. find out who is there. >> steve: turn on a thing called the stingray. they are not gonna. remember, it's private property. the administration has got to call them in. look, they have crossed a line.
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over the last couple of weeks, we have seen people say look, i'm just simply exercising my first amendment rights. and the first amendment rights guarantee free speech and assembly but does not allow you the freedom to harass and intimidate. now they have crossed the. >> ainsley: brearg. >> held people against their will. they have vandalized. it is incumbent on the administration of columbia university to get out there as soon as they can and say okay, this is not acceptable. and if you are a parent of somebody -- just imagine you are a parent and you sent your kid to columbia. you saved for 20 years to put them at one of these great ivy league schools. would you be proud of what you are looking at right there? it's one thing to assemble and one thing for free speech. but it's something else to cross line and break the law. paul mauro and jonathan turley both outlined how those demonstrators inside hamilton hall have broken the law
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repeatedly. >> brian: here is two students you talked to, ainsley, talked about what it is like at columbia moments ago. they are at 160th street. they came down to midtown to talk to you guys. >> >> moist remarkable scene i saw was someone smashing the windows of the doorway from -- of hamilton hall in with a hammer. almost like a scene from the shining. and i also saw a student who was trying to prevent them from barricading, continuing to barricade the doors, then he was essentially corralled by another human chain of pro-palestinian protesters and basically lifted up and shoved out. and called a zionist. and he was physically assaulted. and, again, there is utter silence from public safety, from nypd, so we feel alone on this campus. >> yeah. it was very surreal scene getting ready for finals finishing up an assignment.
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i walk out, the encampment is alive. everybody is marching around and everyone is saying they are going to occupy hamilton hall. instantly i knew this was an escalation because back in 1968, this was the big event that put columbia on the map in terms of being a very like activist school. it really did very -- a lot of harm to the university's reputation. they occupied hamilton hall back in 1968 to protest the vietnam war. and now they are doing the same thing because they see this as a continuation of the same movement. this is a very important building for columbia university and columbia college. this is where the dean of columbia college is. it's where the center where the core curriculum and centerpiece of every student's academic experience. >> i don't feel safe anymore. and, like i was saying, there is security presence on campus and, in fact, they installed like a new security check point outside of butler library; meanwhile, when you walk into butler library, there is already a security desk. again, i don't feel safe because there is so many reports and i have had -- i have talked to
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people who have confessed on camera that they are getting ids from students. and they are not a student. and then they just swipe in and they even say how public safety doesn't look at the face, the picture of the i.d., they just see that it's a green light and they let you through. and so, there was certainly many people on campus today. there was professional burglars who helped break into hamilton hall. and, again, there is no response from public safety. they were truly nowhere to be found tonight. >> the university has decided that they are going to put the interest of the protesters -- i can't even say the rights of the protesters, because it's not even a right. they are putting the interest of the protesters over the interest and rights of all the other students, including those who want nothing to do with this. and what i mean by that is that all around hamilton hall are freshman dorms people trying to sleep. they were yelling things 3:00 a.m. into the night. the butler library is right there. that's where people are trying to study for finals. it also means that classes have gone hybrid. finals have gone hybrid.
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right? they are prioritizing what the protesters want, which is disruption over the interest of other students and that's the policy of the administration. and i don't think it's going to hold up very well in the public eye. >> i'm part of a larger jewish community. some kids who haven't been on campus in the last two weeks because of the fear and there was a jewish professor and he put his -- his i.d. card was deactivated because the university couldn't guarantee his safety. yet, they let other professors who minute nourish shafik said would be fired and wouldn't be allowed on campus. and and students suspended still on campus leading the chants system is clearly broken on campus. >> one thing i have consistently found when you talk to people who disagree with you end up finding you have so much in common and you have a path forward. whereas what we are seeing now
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it's an echo chamber. they are living together in the encampment. they are going to the protests together. it's almost like cult like. a people would describe it as such, because you have leaders saying, you know, from the river to the sea, and then they just mindlessly repeat it. a lot of them probably don't know what river and what sea. because of the echo chamber, we have seen a lot of our -- what once were good friends get sort of dragged into this movement and it's very heart breaking. >> brian: two students you just said, one is jewish, one is not jewish. and they just want to go to school. >> lawrence: jessica said she confronted one of her close friends who they had some agreement at first. but afterwards, she says she became radicalized. that is what is happening to these kids, also. >> steve: take it to chapel hill, north carolina. at 5:30 this morning, the administration warned the protesters there to vacate by 6:00 a.m. or we will remove you. well, apparently, the cops have been there. they have zip tied people. they have carted them off.
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although as you can hear in the background, let's listen to what they are -- let's hear what they are yelling at the cops. [chanting] say it loud and stay clear. we don't want the police here] [we want liberation here] >> steve: they are also saying we will not stop. we will not rest. >> brian: yeah, whatever. this is what they are doing. they were supposed to be out by 6:00 a.m. they look like they are ready to go in there and take them out and take them out right now. and undo that whole encampment like they did at texas, austin. >> steve: apparently they did start taking down the tents and they started throwing stuff away. these are people who are out on the sidewalk. i believe the action and s. behind the officers who are ready for anything as you can see right there. >> lawrence: they are saying they don't want the police here. they are acting as if this is gaza or some type of foreign government. they have to realize that this
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is america. and there is law and order there. and the police have a right to establish within the street. apparently the radicalization is just not at columbia but happening all across the country. ainsley: some of these are public universities. columbia is a private school. >> lawrence: exactly. >> ainsley: they are not calling for nypd to come in and help yet. >> brian: 20 states. they are 20 campuses, 16 states minimum. they have seen some type of unrest. let's think about what the difference about this. protesting everyone keeps saying part of the american experience. usually an american experience. when you look at vietnam war. okay, that's a polarizing war. americans are fighting in it. we understand it. you don't like it. do you like it. you talk about civil unrest. civil rights. you see people they were pushing back. saying segregation. most americans were not on that same page. people speaking out. standing out. taking a stand against jim crow and everything else. this is different. this is america -- backing a
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democracy who was brutally attacked with the killing of innocent people. video available. 1200 plus. almost 200 taken against their will from 80 to 8 months old. we see proof of life videos just 48 hours ago. five different ones. and every time you show video of this campus, it makes it harder for those hostages to get out. and it makes hamas more dug in that they are going to get a better deal every day. this is going against american foreign policy. the mystery is. this was the 34th most pressing issue among college kids two weeks -- six months ago. why is this now the number one issue? why after george floyd did black lives matter come out of nowhere and become the number one issue there are people out there just fomenting unrest in america is it from outside our borders? >> steve: that is exactly what kurt the cyberguy was talking about how it's being fomented on social media and we don't even know if the people who are
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behind it are in this country. you are looking live right now chapel hill, north carolina. unc they have started arresting some of the protesters who did not leave. that's not the only spot. about an hour ago they started arresting people at yale. todd piro joins us right now with a look at how other demonstrations are being cleaned up and rounded up in various spots. >> todd: here what happens we know right now. the number of arrests growing by the minute across our country as you mentioned right now police confronting those protesters at unc chapel hill. also reports of authorities making arrests there. student organizers say about 25 people right now in custody there at unc. steve, you also mentioned the growing unrest at yale. around 50 police officers reportedly moving in on the protesters encampment there. here is video of the tents from yesterday. now, according to the new haven police department chief, no students have been arrested so far this morning. and the protesters are, quote: complying with the orders to leave. to u.t. austin in texas we go. protesters ignoring warnings
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there from police and the school to disperse. video showing them locking arms in a circle around their tents. u.t. austin saying in a statement, quote: u.t. and partner law enforcement agencies dismantle tell an encampment and arrested several protesters. baseball sized rocks found strategically placed within the encampment. the majority of protesters are believed to be unaffiliated with the university. meantime vcu in richmond, virginia, police riot gear working to clear large groups of protesters there. this of course virginia commonwealth university. according to virginia's lt. governor winsome sears the tents are being dismantle and students dispersed. students and nonstudents have been arrested. of course these protests clearly spreading across the u.s. not isolated to a region. not isolated to columbia. brian, to follow up on what you guys said before you tossed to me that reference to baseball size rocks being hidden by outside agitators. what does that remind you of speaking of 2020.
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that's exactly what we heard here in new york city. george floyd. we saw the bricks being brought in to break things up. that's extremely concerning. >> brian: all right, todd. appreciate it. >> ainsley: placing wooden chairs inside the building so that no one could get in to barricade themselves inside. >> steve: they were zip tying the doors closed. >> ainsley: tables underneath the door handles. they cover the security cameras according to the local paper with tape and with black trash bags. there was a janitor inside who was heard saying "i was held hostage." protesters outside yelling, hey, hey, ho ho the occupation has got go. and from the river to the sea, palestine will be free. hundreds were linking outside, linking their arms to form a human chain, blocking the entrance of hamilton hall. >> lawrence: to the point of outside -- you know, agitators. i think what's different in this protest than any other protest is the fact that they are siding
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with terrorists. hamas, hezbollah, the houthi rebels. it's one thing to get yourself involved with an american conflict. but that's not what's happening right now. when you have the hamas propaganda network, feeding these young people -- i mean, jessica made it very clear. at first she was able to have a reasonable debate with one of the protesters who she considered a friend, a very close friend. but she has said as the days continue, her friend got radicalized. and that's the part that i'm worried about. these kids are ignorant. some of them are. they are denying what happened on october the 7th. and so if i'm a parent watching. this grab your kid off this campus. all across the country before they are next. >> steve: indeed. more on this throughout the morning. we have got another big story on this tuesday. >> ainsley: yeah. former president donald trump will be back in court in just a few hours for the ninth day of the new york versus trump trial. >> brian: this is crazy. all happening in new york. prosecutor's third witness
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michael cohen's former banker is expected to continue his testimony. >> ainsley: eric shawn is outside of the new york supreme court. hey, eric. >> hey, ainsley, good morning, guys. yes, former president trump due here in about two hours from now back in manhattan criminal court sitting behind a wooden defense table and it's quite clear that the former president does not want to be here. >> there is no case here. there is no case whatsoever. it's a disgrace. we have a conflicted judge and it shouldn't be happening. not in this country. >> eric: back on the stand will be gary farro. is he michael cohen's banker. set up the shell company that cohen used to pay off stormy daniels. farro is to start laying out the financial document trail the d.a.'s office says that backs the 34 charges of trump filing false business records, all to try to hide his alleged affair with stormy daniels. prosecutors say those payments were illegally listed as legal
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fees to michael cohen but trump's lawyer, todd blanche told the jury that mr. trump did nothing wrong. because he thought he was paying cohen for being his lawyer. quote, michael cohen described his work as payment to the retainer agreement for legal services rendered. the invoice was processed. somebody at trump tower generated a check. president trump signed it. so, what on earth is a crime? this comes as the former president's continued public criticism of these proceedings, including of michael cohen could lead him to be found in contempt of court later this week. on thursday a second hearing with judge juan member khan's gag order is set. prosecutors want mr. trump held accountable for slamming witnesses in the trial. 14 times. he could face up to $1,000 for each infraction for a total of 14 grand. and after farro testifies at some point we will likely hear from debbie tear soft, she works at the accounting department
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trump organization. she generated those checks that the president signed for michael cohen and blanche is quite clear saying that ms. tara soft, no one told her to keep anything quiet. no one told her to keep anything secret at all. back to you guys in the studio. >> brian: thanks so much, eric. let's bring in jonathan turley. he was on last hour talking about the riots and we will talk about them again as they spread across 20 states. i do want to talk about what is happening. we have the third week of the trial with donald trump tuesday, thursday and friday this week. have a day off wednesday. is he going to campaign. why is it important for today's witness to be the banker? what's the prosecution trying to do? >> well, this is a housekeeping witness. so it's going to be as exciting as watching paint drying. going to be talking about such interesting topics as setting up an llc. the funny thing is a lot of these witnesses are proving stuff that's not being contest you had. nobody contests that the check was written. that it was through an llc. they are going to lay through that foundation. and all of this is to be the
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sort of prequel to michael cohen. ainsley: what is interesting about michael cohen being a key witness you were telling us this during the commercial break. you said he was the one that gave donald trump this advice. he was his lawyer. donald trump took his advice and now he is going to take the stand and say what donald trump did was illegal. >> right. it's bad enough when you bring in a person's own counsel to testify against him. but, michael cohen is literally going to tell that jury please send my client to jail for following my legal advice. all of the stuff that they are talking about, he set up. he structured this and told his client that we could do this. and it's a bizarre moment. but i got to tell you. i think this judge may have already committed reversible error. he could try to amend it. he could try to change it in his instructions. but that jury has now been told repeatedly that there are federal election crimes here. strongly suggesting that the
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payment to stormy daniels did violate federal election laws. that's just not true. >> steve: right. speaking of crimes. we have got some breaking news all across the country where the police are now moving in. we just showed the images from u.n.c. chapel hill where arrests have been made. we are also showing if people are just getting up at 7:30 this morning, columbia students took over one of the buildings, hamilton hall, there was vandalism. they were holding people against their will. general than, these things have suddenly crossed the line down at chapel hill told at 5:30 this morning if you don't leave you will be removed. >> they are now running through the criminal code. many of these students just taking columbia. they have clear trespass. they have clear property damage. they very likely have assault because they held the staff members and they may have false imprisonment. this just listing four of those. and so this -- the problem is that you have a highly enabled generation that has been in
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higher education that has allowed them cancel speakers and to basically run these campuses. well, they have now occupied one of your buildings, and at what point do you decide we are the administration and we do need these buildings? these buildings have a function, right? so you can't just now not only control campus, but take over buildings? >> lawrence: jonathan, how do you balance free speech and then you have young people that are taking propaganda from a terrorist organization and putting that on the campus blocking jewish students from going into class i understand i'm a free speech purist in that way. isn't this getting close to co-operation the terrorist organization's message of can't that be prosecuted? >> well, i think this is protective speech until the point it becomes aiding and abetting a terrorist organization. >> but, to require that, you need intent, you need a close nexus. i don't think we are there.
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but you also have a lot of other violations. we have seen films of journalists, particularly with conservative networks being barred from going on to public campuses. we have seen jewish students, jewish faculty being held back, not being able to walk on campus while being jewish apparently. >> lawrence: is that a crime? >> well, when they hold those people back it can be assault. but, more importantly, these universities have an obligation of higher education. we are forums for diversity of viewpoints. not just one. not whatever the mob wants it to be. this is really a manifestation what many of us have been living with for two decades. who controls our campuses? who protects that diversity of viewpoints? this isn't a diversity of viewpoints. this is one viewpoint. >> lawrence: unbelievable. >> ainsley: what about columbia a private organization. even if they know the people are hold up inside hamilton hall? >> yeah. that's the amazing thing is that this goes to this enabling.
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faculty have lined up to link arms to protect these protesters including at my university. they took over a city street at g.w. and the city hasn't moved them. they just say okay. it's your street now. that's what these students are hearing. and, look, we didn't come to this point in the last two weeks. these students have been raised. they have been told that they could silence others. that opposing speech is harmful speech. and there's very few consequences. so i'm not surprised that they think they can occupy a building. but they are up for a rude awakening. at some point columbia university has to decide is it going to be a university or hand over students? >> brian: 90 minutes ago police started moving in on that campus. they started taking out the tents and throwing it in garbage and putting kids in zip ties. how important is if you want to end it from a law enforcement perspective for kids to stay in jail and not be processed where
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they can put their mask back on? >> that's the amazing thing in new york we saw that kids were arrested. then they were released. >> brian: come back as heroes. >> there is no consequences. look at university of north carolina people have toppled that statue. i believe they dropped those charges. the word is on the street that this is all performative and yes, they come back as congress corresponding heroes. >> brian: didn't they put a palestinian flag over george washington on europe campus? >> they did. and it's an amazing thing to go on my campus today to see a city street occupied. they are right outside the law school. i talked with jewish students, and they are fearful. >> brian: do you feel safe? >> well, you know, formally, i furniturely ihave been dealing r a long time. ccancel campaign with my name on it for about 20 years. this has unfortunately become the standard. this is just the most manifest example of a culture, including all those antifa members.
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they have been on my campus and all campuses for two decades. >> lawrence: what about your colleagues? some of your colleagues are linking arms with them. putting shields around them in front of the police. how do you feel that fellow professors are standing with this nonsense? >> that's what really is troubling not for me but for my students, particularly my jewish students is they see faculty linking arms around people who are making really hateful statements. and we have had instances on campuses around the country of jewish students being spit upon. my kids have seen protesters tearing down hostage, pictures of babies that are being held hostage. and they do it with total impunity. >> steve: here's the thing. at a lot of universities, including, i believe, yours and i was on your campus this past weekend and i saw exactly what you are talking about. they have -- they offer degrees in activism. and so when you look at these kids in chapel hill, clearly, they are just standing there.
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that is protected speech. they can do that it's when they cross the line. and they were told to vacate the tents and a bunch of them didn't. so that's when the police come in. but, jonathan, you know for a fact, some of these students who are being suspended or arrested, are going to sue the universities, wherever they are and say, look, i was just exercising my first amendment right. i was doing what you taught me to do in the -- my degree with activism. >> they do learn from these faculty members. we had a faculty member who assaulted pro-life demonstrators pled guilty. >> brian: jonathan, hold on one second. the police chief on chapel hill. >> ainsley: in charlotte, north carolina where police officers were killed. >> lawrence: i think we are going to go him next. to say another fox news alert. four law enforcement officers are dead and four others hurt after a shootout in charlotte. the horrific scene unfolding when a suspect opened fire on u.s. marshals. their task force serving a
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warrant. we are now learning there may have been more than one shooter. here with the latest on his investigation is charlotte, the chief of police there, johnny jennings. chief, thank you so much for joining the program. >> thanks for having me. it's a pleasure to be on certainly not under these circumstances. >> lawrence: yeah, chief. it's been a while since i have seen you. your police department specializes in community policing. working with the community. how do you feel that a scum bag in your community decided to take those officers' life? >> you know, it's devastating. it's something that it's a nightmare for any police chief across the country and it certainly is a scar in charlotte and also a scar for the profession across the country. it's going to take a while to get through. this we are a resilient team here in charlotte. i'm sure that we have great men and women that are going to do the right thing and continue to
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keep our community safe. >> ainsley: chief jennings, could you tell us about the four officers that were killed? i was reading one of them left behind a wife and a young child. what do you know about these four officers? >> >> yes this is part of the u.s. marshals fugitive task force. they were out to serve a warrant on an individual that had a warrant for felony possession of funeral by convicted felon. that individual decided that he was going to open fire on our officers. and three of the officers that were killed that day, yesterday, were with the fugitive task force from other agencies. the charlotte mecklenburg police department had a total of four officers shot. one suck dowmed his injuries later yesterday. and we're certainly feeling the loss of that trying to get through that. >> steve: chief, it just we minds people there is no such thing as a routine arrest. i mean, that, you know, some
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would say, well, you know, they were just going to serve a warrant. then this can happen. >> yeah. beyond any wildest imagination, obviously the most horrific thing i have seen in my career with our department. but we talk about it every day. you know, we put on this uniform and we don't know if we're coming home and the dangers that are involved in this uniform, of putting this uniform on. in a situation like this brings it all the reality. and not just for charlotte but for the entire country of what we deal with. and the dangers of this job. >> brian: can you tell us what happened? you had eight officers were hit. four were killed. can you set the scene for us as you know it because i understand, too, the neighbors said that some officers had to go into their house and they almost looked like snipers in order to take these guys out. so you really had to come to nate the neighborhood and still 8 officers got shot. >> yeah.
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absolutely huge showing of support from all of law enforcement across our region. and the people that responded just did a tremendous job. but, you know, officers when they went to make the arrest and encountered this individual. he had a high powered automatic rifle that he was able to start open fire on our officers. as others have responded to save the officers that were down, they were also hit with gunfire as well. so it's just, you know, very proud of our men and women that saw what was going on. went to the gunfire to try to save the lives of their brothers in blue and unfortunately we're ending one a tragic situation here. >> steve: after the shooter inside the house was taken out, was neutralized by the forces, then the shooting continued from the house. who was shooting after that guy was taken out? >> well, we're still trying to work through that there's a possibility that the individual
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was just going from one side of the house to the other. it just appeared to be two inside of the house. we originally said yesterday that there was a possible -- another suspect that was shooting from inside. we have to be able to confirm that and that's what the evidence is going to unveil for us in some of the interviews that we have been conducting as well as our body worn. >> lawrence: still have to do your job after you lost one of your own. how can we support you and your officers today? >> right now we need prayers. we need support foshted law enforcement profession as a whole. we're hurting right now. i have been receiving great calls. a lot of calls from across the country and in canada. and just to show support and that means a lot to us right now. we have got a lot of agencies around our area that have helped us come in and answer calls for service yesterday, when we were in need of assistance and it's
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just been tremendous. and it's law enforcement family and yesterday was absolute proof of that. >> steve: it was indeed. >> ainsley: charlotte is such a beautiful place. usually a safe community. great place to raise your kids and this happens. god bless you. thank you for your service and all that you do. >> lawrence: thanks, chief. >> thank you. i appreciate you. >> brian: a bunch of teenagers think they know better and wants to set foreign policy for america. diverting more police resources. >> steve: all right. meanwhile, moving back to our top story. ♪ anarchy overnight as anti-israel protests storm and occupy an academic building at columbia university here in new york city. school leaders failing to keep the peace at pro-hamas students defy a deadline to dismantle their encampments at 2:00 yesterday afternoon. didn't do it. and as anti-semitic incidents escalated, one new york congressman is calling out his supposedly progressive colleagues for their silence on
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this. congressman mike lawler from the great state of new york joins us right now. congressman, good morning to you. >> good morning, steve. thanks for having me. >> steve: you bet. have you introduced the anti-semitism awareness act. what's that going to do. >> it's going to require the department of education to adopt the ira working definition of anti-semitism and all of its contemporary examples for the title 6 discrimination enforcement cases. and what we're seeing on these campuses is a rapid rise in anti-semitism. you know, back in 1969, father hesitate per, the president of notre dame sent a letter to faculty and students in which i said you will have 15 minutes to cease and desist the failure to do so will result in your expulsion or arrest. that's what needs to happen here. this administration, president shafik has lost complete control at columbia university. it's why i have called on either
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the national guard or the nypd to step in at this moment because it's clear that she cannot restore order. she cannot keep the students safe this is a travesty across the country we are seeing. right as we approach graduation. this is impacting students all across the country and it needs to stop immediately. >> steve: absolutely. one of the provisions of your bill is that it would cut off federal funds to any school if they do not enforce it -- with regard to anti-semitism. and it's probably going to pass because you have got 33 republican co-sponsors. you've got 14 democrat co-sponsors but jerry nadler, the ranking member of the house judiciary committee, you would think he would be on board. he says your bill is a piece of you know what nadler was a
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co-sponsor of this very bill just just a few congresses ago. the bill would have done the same thing. adopt this working definition of anti-semitism so that we can define it and enforce it. and the fact that he has turned, you know, done a 180 here is insane. and why? because democrats are petrified of their progressive left base, and so concerned about the electoral consequences in november that they are willing to throw jewish students under the bus. it's shameful. >> steve: that's why we haven't heard from chuck schumer on this. where is the president on this he is doing both sides thing again. you think given the fact you think there is a big problem brewing for the democrats at their connection this summer. this could be 1968 all over
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again. >> history repeats itself. and that's why i referenced the 1969 letter from the president of notre dame. you are seeing the democratic party splinter. you're seeing this unrest on campuses. i think in chicago this year you're going to see protests like you've never seen before. and that's what the democrats are petrified about. donald trump won 2016 by 40,000 votes in three states. sorry, 80,000 votes in three states. he lost 2020 by 40,000 votes in three states. the presidential election is going to be extremely close. and that's why democrats are petrified about michigan and minnesota. and their base. which is falling out from under them. >> steve: but you know, congressman, there have been some moderate jewish democrats who have gone up to columbia university to support the jewish students there. they are on their side. and made it very clear. but then, right after they showed up, next thing you know you have got some of the super progressives going in and
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visiting the campuses to show solidarity with the protesters. they are on the other side. >> well, it's amazing. josh gottheimer and jared moskowitz two of my closest friends went there. they were told they were not allowed to go into the encampment. and yet aoc and ilhan omar were allowed to walk among them. in part because they believe like they do. they support hamas. it is disgusting what has happened within the democratic party. it's disgusting what is happening on these college campuses. they are parroting hamas talking points. the point is hamas endorsed these protests last week while speaker johnson and i were standing on the steps of the library at columbia demanding president shafik's resignation. >> steve: here is a thing, congressman. there are a lot of universities and we were just talking to jonathan turley about this. there are a lot of universities offer degree in activism. essentially something like this is a class project, essentially.
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>> look, you have paid professional agitators on this campus right now. along with students who are being taught to protest. and, listen, you are entitled to free speech. you ever entitled to voice your opinion. you are not entitled to threaten other students. and that's what's happening. and it needs to stop immediately. >> steve: you know, one of the things we have been talking on this program for a long time about how social media, the social media giants are completely unregulated by congress. but you look at some of the disinformation that has been spread on social media, and it's like okay, are those people from columbia? are those people from russia who are putting that stuff out? >> listen, hamas is a terrorist organization that uses innocent palestinians has human shields. israel is not the oppressor. they are not an apartheid state. they are the only multicultural, multi religious, multi democracy in the middle east. they are our closest ally. we need to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
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these kids, part ever the participation trophy generation need to be told enough. that's what needs to happen here immediately. >> steve: congressman, thank you very much for joining us from stat area hall. good luck, we hope that bill passes promptly. >> mike lawler, is going to be a tough re-election really defined himself as outspoken guy who puts the work in republicans come out and speak out. i don't think what the polls say. there has got to be support for israel and support militarily as well as military advice if you have disagreement you are suppose to keep it between the parties,letlet speaker shows up hostile territory. heckled. kids got to go back to school. pick up the encampments and stop harassing jewish students. mike lawler came out with anti-semitism bill. 23 democrats who rallied with him. no sign of congressman nadler
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doing anything two jewish new yorkers and this is new york. and now you are looking at north carolina where is the president? lanes. >> ainsley: this is breaking news today. so many unrest on campuses around the country, last night or early this morning at 12:30 in the morning at columbia university, there were a group of individuals that stormed into one of the buildings on the campus and they broke the windows. they shattered them with hammers, they placed wooden chairs and tables in front of the doors to barricade themselves inside. there were janitors inside. one in particular said that he was being held hostage. he couldn't get out. they finally did let those individuals out. they covered up the security cameras with tape. and with black trash bags. there were people outside linking arms, surrounding the building, chanting from the river to the sea, palestine will be free. this is exam season. these kids are -- some of them -- we interviewed a few this morning who said they were
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studying in the library for the exams. and you could hear this outside. they said inside that building, hamilton hall, is the admissions office. it's the dean's office. and close by is where all the freshmen live. and they could hear these chants in the middle of the night. >> brian: look at this kid trying to get out there. look at the cowards with their masks on. how proud are you on a movement when you put a mask on? were they doing that in the 60's when they are fighting for racial justice? were they doing that when they were standing up and burning draft cards? were they saying don't look at me i don't want to get in trouble? >> steve: to your point, ainsley, about there being freshman on campus. this morning they are restricting access. can you only get on the campus. and that's why our bryan llenas is off campus. just on the other side of the gate. if you live in one of the dorms. a lot of freshman jewish student. can you imagine if you were the parent of one of those students watching what is happening to your child, at what has
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historically been regarded as one of the best learning institutions in the world. but now because of all this stuff, the president has threatened to suspend the people who did not decamp yesterday at 2:00. we don't know exactly how many, if any were but, mike lawler made a great point. back in the 160s, the threat was not -- you are going to be suspended and there is going to be a note in your permanent record. he said they need to know. all the people who have broke into that building. you are going to be expelled and you are going to be arrested. how many people would go in then? >> ainsley: you have the right to exercise free speech. have the right for peaceful protest but this is more of a riot. and they are destroying property. they are breaking and entering. >> steve: they crossed a line. >> they did cross a line. these students say they want divestment from companies that are providing services to israel. they don't want colleges to give money to those companies. and they want amnesty now for the protesters. if you are a protester. they want it off their record so
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that when they aapply for a job. their new employer won't see it. >> brian: larry summers democrat secretary under obama and other things. former president of harvard says i have to say that i have got very little sympathy for these protesters. seems to me at a moral minimum ought to recognize that they feel what they are doing is profoundly just. but they should recognize what martin luther king did and what gandhi did accepting severe punishment was part of the act of civil obedience rather than trying to rally allies to insist they will not be disciplined. they are worried about the ram ramifications while doing whatever the hell they want. what you are seeing is hamilton hall, named after alexander hamilton, obviously they have been a target from the 60's to the 70s of different takeovers. this was a compleetz surprise, it seems. and the one thing about mike lawler, he wants the president to resign. the president is dealing with a faculty and a senate and a board that feels as though she should be repr reprimanded for even brg
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the cops to begin with at what point do you say the president is not the problem. the whole institution is the problem? >> steve: it will be interesting to sees a they put a metal picnic table up against the door right there. >> brian: genius. >> steve: exactly how they do deal with the professors and adjunct professors and teaching aides who stood with the people who broke a bunch of laws. can you express yourself. you cannot disrupt. it's not only here in new york city. we are going to show you where some of the other spots of trouble this morning are. you are taking a live look now at new haven, connecticut. this is a fox news alert. to the protests at yale where police are blocking off parts of the campus as you can see right there. according to its school paper, 50 officers are reportedly moving in on the protesters encampment, but the new haven police department chief says no students have been arrested so far this morning. and so that has been the line so
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far. at columbia, also at u.n.c. chapel hill what they have said is you have got to get out of your encampments, if you don't, we are going to move. in they moved in on campus at columbia a week or so ago. they moved in this morning in north carolina. >> brian: yeah, you see timidity, everywhere, especially on ivy league campuses. it's a different story the university of texas, austin. different story at the university of georgia. there's a different story as we just shown you at chapel hill, north carolina. let's bring in shannon bream for these unfolding events. shannon, your reaction to what is happening here and what are the schools options legally, especially first stop? let's make it columbia when they take over a building, what is stopping them from calling the cops? >> yeah. i mean, these are public and private institutions. so, when you have to think about, first amendment implications, you may get into different conversations there. but, when there is criminal activity, columbia is most certainly within its rights to call the police to show up to handle what is alleged criminal
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activity. you've got to start to wonder to an legal front how many students and parents may decide to sue some of these universities that their kids are losing access they are paying for access to a dorm, access to teaching. the food service on campus, all these things they can't get to. not to mention the loss of their, you know, commencement ceremonies and all kinds of things. the safety of their kids. there is some obligation of these schools when parents send off kids. some of these kids are old enough that they could be sniewghtd these lawsuits themselves as adults. you got to wonder how much pressuring schools to do more to protect students and guarantee the access they and their parents have paid for. >> ainsley: shannon, would they have a case if they did that that? we have seen students going up to ucla i would like to get on campus. i am a jewish student. paid for classes. i have access to things that i have already put money over. there is a contract, essentially
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for my education. and yet i'm being blocked by protesters. why isn't the university doing something about guaranteeing my access. especially if there are issues of safety as well. and you got to think some of these kids that are in the area there at columbia where they said these are freshman doorms there. there are libraries. people are trying to study for things like exams. you know, that you are not providing the access in conducive study environment. where students feel unsafe or unable to complete what they have contracted with you for which is an education. >> steve: sure. ultimately what we are looking at and it's pretty clear, shannon, after they broke in and occupied hamilton hall here in new york city, that's one thing. but, across the country, what we have seen for the most part is, you know, in some cases, it's peaceful and some cases it's not so peaceful. but, it's a first amendment exercise of this is my opinion. and so that's why it's so complicated. the question is, at what point does it cross a line into
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anti-semitism and suddenly this is going to become a big first amendment case. >> yeah. you know, i had justice breyer on this "fox news sunday." he talked about this. he voted in a case that the supreme court 8 to 1 in favor of westboro baptist church because the first amendment is so sacred that it protects the most offensive of speech. we all know the first amendment isn't for, you know, talking about rainbows and puppies. it's for really difficult stuff. and he talked about listen, when we are talking about content, you can't censor that. that's what the first amendment is. one of the most beautiful robust things that under pins our democracy. when it turns into threats and when it turns to potential harm for people, we all know there is a line that's been crossed. it is not absolute. >> brian: all right. thanks, shannon. appreciate it. we'll get updates on that. the lawsuits will be coming. for now, how do you end the standoff. that's what we are going to be look at over the next hour. >> steve: people in the building said they are not going to leave until at least commencement
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