Biden prays for 'honesty, decency, dignity' in Day of Prayer proclamation amid ongoing campus protests
President Biden issued a proclamation to mark the National Day of Prayer in which he urges cooperation and decorum amid ongoing disruption and violence on college campuses nationwide.
The proclamation was released on Wednesday ahead of the National Day of Prayer on May 2.
"Scripture tells us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer," Biden wrote in the proclamation. "This year, my prayer for our Nation is that we keep faith that our best days are ahead of us and continue to believe in honesty, decency, dignity, and respect."
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"May we see each other not as enemies but as fellow human beings, each made in the image of God and each precious in His sight," he continued. "May we leave no one behind, give everyone a fair shot, and give hate no safe harbor. May we remember that nothing is beyond our capacity if we act together."
Biden's message of peace and nonviolence comes as U.S. colleges across the country descend into chaos amid student protesters demanding total divestment from Israel and more.
Students at Columbia University in New York City barricaded themselves inside a campus building after weeks of protest, eventually necessitating a raid by the NYPD on Tuesday night.
Campus disruptions are still ongoing at the University of California Los Angeles, Tulane, Portland State University and elsewhere.
On the National Day of Prayer itself, Biden explicitly addressed the situation and condemned the actions of students leading to "disorder."
"Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campus, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations — none of this is a peaceful protest," Biden said Thursday. "Threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law. Dissent is essential to democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder."
White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates previously said on Apr. 30 that Biden condemns "antisemitic" and "dangerous" aspects of the demonstrations.
"President Biden has stood against repugnant, antisemitic smears and violent rhetoric his entire life. He condemns the use of the term 'intifada,' as he has the other tragic and dangerous hate speech displayed in recent days," Bates said. "President Biden respects the right to free expression, but protests must be peaceful and lawful. Forcibly taking over buildings is not peaceful — it is wrong. And hate speech and hate symbols have no place in America."Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.