Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert tussled with protesters and attempted to remove a Palestinian flag from a statue during a contentious visit to George Washington University (GWU).
Boebert and a delegation of her House GOP colleagues arrived at the Washington, D.C., campus on Wednesday to demand that students and other pro-Palestinian protesters speaking out on Israel's attack of Gaza dismantle their encampment over allegations of antisemitism.
In videos shared on social media, Boebert is captured attempting to remove a Palestinian flag that had been draped over a statue of George Washington, telling the protesters that they were infringing on "private property."
A person identifying themselves as a faculty member then reminded Boebert that the statue was not her property, seemingly prompting the congresswoman to walk away while still demanding that the flag be taken down.
The Context
The pro-Palestinian protest and encampment at GWU is one of dozens that have emerged on college campuses across the country over the past two weeks, seemingly inspired by the protest at New York City's Columbia University.
The protesters are demanding that the universities divest from Israel and support a ceasefire, accusing the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of committing "genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel began its continuing assault on Gaza following the deadly surprise October 7 attack by Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that governs a part of Gaza.
The Hamas attack resulted in 1,200 deaths in Israel and hundreds of kidnappings, while Israel has since killed over 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to an Associated Press report citing local officials.
Reports of repeated antisemitic incidents at the protests, which student protesters say are being instigated by outside groups, have sparked outrage from lawmakers of both parties, alongside promises to protect Jewish students.
The visit by Boebert and other Republicans to GWU on Wednesday follows a similar visit by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and a GOP delegation last week at Columbia, where Johnson was greeted with boos and chants of "Free Palestine."
What We Know
Boebert appeared at the GWU campus on Wednesday alongside fellow Republican Representatives James Comer, Byron Donalds and Anna Paulina Luna.
Videos shared on X, formerly Twitter, show Boebert complaining about the Palestinian flag while pointing to the statue of Washington. Protesters can be heard arguing with the Colorado Republican, who demands that the flag be removed to protect the "private property."
"Yes, it is private property," argues Boebert, while pointing at the statue during an exchange with one of the protesters. "This is America and that s*** needs to come down ... This is private property."
The voice of a man can then be heard telling Boebert "it's not your property." She responds by asking the man if he is a student, prompting him to say that he is "on the faculty here."
"Then climb up there and get that down," Boebert says, before another person in the crowd tells her that "the flag is personal property."
Boebert then says "the statue is not" personal property before walking away from the area while saying "get it down" and shaking her head.
Newsweek reached out for comment to Boebert's office via email on Wednesday evening.
Views
Boebert was greeted with loud boos before speaking at a press conference alongside her fellow Republicans on the GWU campus. She was also heckled as she spoke, with her speech being drowned out by chants of "Free Palestine" for a time before she threatened to block federal funding to the school.
"We stand with Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East," Boebert said, raising her voice amid the pro-Palestinian chants. "These folks who are shouting 'Free Palestine' ... almost every single person in this so-called liberated zone would be eviscerated by the very terrorists you are standing here supporting."
"This is not the summer of love," she continued. "I had people proudly saying that they are faculty and not wanting to remove a Palestinian sign from the George Washington statue. If they don't want to do something to address this, well then kiss your federal funding goodbye."
What's Next
Boebert was among the 320 House members who voted to pass the Antisemitism Awareness Act in the chamber on Wednesday. The bill provides a "definition of antisemitism" and could potentially result in universities losing their federal funding if they allow protests that are deemed antisemitic.
While the bill would still need to pass in the Senate and be signed by President Joe Biden to become law, it has been criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and others for potentially stifling free speech with an overly broad definition of antisemitism.
"Speech that is critical of Israel or any other government cannot, alone, constitute harassment," the ACLU said in a letter urging members of Congress to oppose the bill last week. "If this bill becomes law, political speech critical of Israel will likely be censored in several ways."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more
