Sen. Bernie Sanders is defending the right of students on college campuses across the country to peacefully protest the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, Sanders delivered an impassioned 20-minute speech in which he compared the current protests to those that occurred during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and during the Vietnam War in the 1970s.
Sanders told his colleagues that he condemns the use of violence that has occurred in some of these protests. But he says the peaceful demonstrations represent an important point of view.
"And when you talk about America being a free country, well, you know what, whether you like it or not, the right to protest is what American freedom is all about," Sanders said. "That's the U.S. Constitution."
He rejected efforts to associate these protests with support for Hamas.
"To stand up for Palestinian rights and the dignity of the Palestinian people does not make one a supporter of terrorism," Sanders said.
Sanders ended his speech by decrying members of Congress who are attacking the protesters rather than the Israeli government.
In Vermont, student protest encampments are ongoing at the University of Vermont and Middlebury College.
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