With pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the US leading to an increasing number of arrests, Stephen Colbert took a moment on Late Night to share his honest thoughts.
“Even if you don’t agree with the subject of their protest, as long as they are peaceful, students should be allowed to protest,” he says in the clip above. “It’s their First Amendment right. That is the kind of idealism you learn in college, it’s one of the few college lessons you can use your whole life.”
Colbert goes on to break down some of the more disturbing headlines, from snipers allegedly being spotted on the rooftops of some colleges to the hundreds of arrests that have already taken place this week alone.
“Yes, college administrators are using the classic de-escalation tactic of sending in heavily-armed police and threatening to call in the national guard,” Colbert said. “Photos online show police snipers on the roofs of buildings at Ohio State University and Indiana University, although the Ohio State administration stated that these were state police officers, which the school also employs during football games. What are you worrying about students, the snipers are always there!”
College protests have been growing in the US in recent weeks in response to the war in Gaza, with students calling for their schools to drop any financial ties with Israel.
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Stephen Colbert