'Outside agitators': Outrage as Rep Byron Donalds called racial slurs at George Washington University protest

Donalds condemned the 'vile people' at such protests, emphasizing the need for universities to protect students from intimidation
PUBLISHED MAY 4, 2024
Republican Representative Byron Donalds of Florida faced a disturbing incident at an anti-Israel protest at George Washington University (MSNBC)
Republican Representative Byron Donalds of Florida faced a disturbing incident at an anti-Israel protest at George Washington University (MSNBC)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Republican Representative Byron Donalds of Florida found himself at the center of a disturbing incident during an anti-Israel protest at George Washington University.

A video captured by the Daily Caller showed Donalds being verbally assaulted by a protester who hurled racial slurs at him, including accusations of being a "race traitor" and an "Uncle Tom."

Byron Donalds condemns 'vile people' at protests

According to Daily Caller, Donalds, who is both Black and a conservative member of Congress, condemned the incident as an example of the "vile people" present at such protests.

During a Fox News appearance following the incident, Donalds highlighted the hateful speech directed not only at him but also at Jewish individuals participating in the protest. He emphasized the importance of universities taking action to protect students from intimidation and fear mongering by outside forces who exploit such demonstrations.

“What I saw was you had a large amount of vile people like that protester and many others,” Donalds told 'America’s Newsroom' co-host Bill Hemmer.



 

“They were shouting a lot of hateful speech towards Jews. Some hurled it at me, but that’s fine, I’ll deal with that on my own. At the end of the day what you have in these encampments like you reported are a lot of people not students at these universities.”

"They are using these protests as a way to gin up more fear and more intimidation amongst Jewish and other students at these campuses who just want to go to school,” Donalds continued.

“So it is really important for these universities to step up and to protect the students and not allow these outside forces to take over their institutions.”



 

Donalds slams Biden's response as 'mealy-mouthed'

Donalds also criticized President Joe Biden for what he perceived as a tepid response to the campus protests, accusing the president of being "mealy-mouthed" and prioritizing political considerations over condemning acts of intimidation and violence.

"The president is weak, the president is soft," Donalds said.

"His speech was mealy-mouthed because he doesn’t want to offend these protesters because he doesn’t want to lose votes in Michigan and Minnesota. Let’s call it exactly what it is: Free speech is protected but what you cannot do is trespass or intimidate or violate the civil rights of other students in the process."

Racist taunts target Black pro-Palestine protester

In a separate incident at the University of Mississippi, a Black pro-Palestine protester faced racist taunts and gestures from White counter-protesters. The protester, standing alone and filming the altercation, was subjected to insults about her weight, comparisons to the musician Lizzo, and vile gestures including mimicking a monkey.

The ugly scene went down Thursday at the University of Mississippi -- with both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel factions holding dueling protests right there on the campus, which got heated when a group zeroed in on a Black female on the Palestine side of things.

According to TMZ, the disturbing scene, captured on video, has drawn widespread condemnation, with many denouncing the actions of the individuals involved as blatant displays of bigotry and racism.



 

Even a US congressman praised the actions of the counter-protesters, drawing further criticism. However, the university stated that offensive statements made during the demonstration would be addressed appropriately. Despite the tension, the protests remained mostly peaceful, with no reported arrests or injuries.

Online reactions highlight outrage and xenophobia

Several social media users expressed their reactions to the incident involving Republican Rep Byron Donalds, offering a glimpse into the spectrum of opinions circulating online.

One user said, "Not only too old, but he sounds like a Sesame Street character."



 

Another added, "People who use terms like “race traitor” unironically are typically racists."



 

One user wrote, "Outside agitators, and whose the one speaking with a foreign accent?"



 

Another commented, "What's wrong with that guy's head? Damn!"



 

One wrote, "Why do we let these people into our country? We really need to stop."



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

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