Vresp View the latest news and breaking news today for U.S., world, weather, entertainment, politics and health at vresp.today..
Related Articles
It’s ‘America Now’ time, bringing you vivid American news.
Host) What news is there today?
Reporter) Police entered Columbia University, where protests against the Gaza war were intensifying, and arrested protesters occupying a building on campus. Former President Donald Trump, who is currently on criminal trial for alleged sexual harassment, was fined $9,000 for violating the silence order.
Host) America Now, this is the first news. Police have been deployed to Columbia University, where tensions are rising due to protests against the Gaza war.
Reporter) That’s right. Following the outdoor tent sit-in, the New York police forcibly detained the protesters who had occupied the campus building. On the night of April 30, New York police officers wearing tactical gear entered the Columbia University campus.
Host) Aren’t the protesters staging a sit-in protest while blocking the entrance to the building?
Reporter) That’s right. Therefore, the police used a ladder truck to enter the building through a window on the second floor of Hamilton Hall, which was occupied by protesters. Police were also deployed to the outdoor tent protest site. Afterwards, dozens of people were taken into custody with their hands tied and boarded a police bus.
Host) Was it at the request of the university that the police were deployed?
Reporter) Yes, the university said, “Once we learned that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blocked overnight, we had no other choice.” “It was in response to the actions of the protesters that we requested assistance from the New York Police Department,” he said. “We have made it clear that campus life cannot be endlessly disrupted by protesters who violate our rules and laws.”
Host) Why did students occupy Hamilton Hall?
Reporter) The university previously demanded that the protesters disperse the outdoor tent sit-in by 2 p.m. on the 29th of last month. They warned that if they refused, they would be suspended from school. But the protesters refused. The university took measures to suspend the protesting students. Then, the protesters suddenly occupied Hamilton Hall on campus in the early morning of the 30th and announced that they would not leave until the school accepted their demands. In response, the school warned that students who occupied the building would be expelled. Afterwards, police forces were deployed.
Host) Columbia University has previously tried to disperse protesters with police support, right?
Reporter) Yes, Columbia University President Nemat Shafik asked the police to disperse the protesters who refused the withdrawal request on the 18th of last month. Police detained more than 100 protesters. However, the students’ backlash grew stronger due to the police crackdown. Solidarity sit-ins began at several universities across the United States. President Shafik asked the New York Police to remain stationed on campus until the graduation ceremony ends on May 17 to help clear the protest scene and maintain order.
Host) The mayor of New York also spoke about the Columbia incident, right?
Reporter) Yes, New York Mayor Eric Adams said in a briefing with New York police officers that the protesters’ occupation of Hamilton Hall was caused by ‘outside agitators.’ Mayor Adams said peaceful protesters supporting Palestine are being hijacked by people with “nothing to do with Columbia University” and people with nefarious motives. He went on to point out that “they are here to promote discord and division, not to promote peace or unity or to speak as one peaceful voice.”
Host) There must be a basis for the New York authorities to make this decision, right?
Reporter) Yes, the police gave evidence based on the fact that they blocked the entrance using iron barricades and damaged security cameras. The Columbia University Coalition to End Apartheid (CUAD), the organizer of the Columbia University protest, has not commented on these claims.
Host) What is the situation with protests at other universities?
Reporter) At the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the western United States, there was a physical clash between Palestinian support protesters and Israeli supporters in the early morning of the 1st. Both sides pushed and kicked each other, and even threw chairs and iron barricades at the other side.
Host) How did this violence happen?
Reporter) The Daily Bruin, a UCLA academic newspaper, reported that the clash occurred when Israeli supporters attempted to dismantle a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on campus. Accordingly, police in riot gear arrived at the scene. Jack Seidl, a spokesman for the Los Angeles mayor’s office, told Social Media
Host) University districts, both in the eastern and western parts of the American continent, are noisy with protests against the Gaza war. Are there any places where the protests are calming down?
Reporter) There are also schools where protesters dispersed. At Brown University in the eastern United States, protesters dispersed on the 30th after reaching a negotiated settlement with the school. The two sides agreed to hold a vote in October on halting the university’s investment in Israel-linked companies, rather than allowing protesters to disperse. The Associated Press reported that this was the first time the university had agreed to a vote to divest from protesters. The demands of pro-Palestinian protesters vary slightly from school to school, but most are demanding that universities divest their investments in Israel-related businesses and provide amnesty for students and faculty who participated in the protests.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump appeared at the Manhattan District Court in New York on the 30th.
Host) America Now, this time we will look at news related to the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump.
Reporter) Yes, former President Trump is currently on trial in the Manhattan District Court in New York on charges of silencing a sexual scandal. He was fined for disobeying the judge’s order not to defame anyone involved in the trial. Judge Juan Mercan of Manhattan District Court, who is in charge of the trial, fined former President Trump $9,000 on April 30, saying he had repeatedly violated the silence order he had issued.
Host) Why did Judge Merchan make this decision?
Reporter) Judge Merchan said he knew that the defendant, former President Trump, had the First Amendment right to freedom of expression, and that he was protecting it, but said, “Continued and intentional violations of lawful orders cannot be tolerated.” He said. Judge Merchan warned him that he could be jailed if he continues to break the gag order.
Host) Isn’t the gag order directly related to former President Trump’s sexual scandal silence trial? But why was the court decision on the gag order issued?
Reporter) This is because the New York prosecutors who indicted former President Trump took issue with former President Trump’s violation of the silence order. Judge Merchan previously ordered former President Trump to refrain from slandering witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, jurors, and their families related to this trial. However, on the 23rd of last month, prosecutors asked Judge Merchan to impose a fine of $1,000 on each count, claiming that former President Trump violated the silence order at least 10 times.
Host) And Judge Merchan accepted the prosecution’s argument?
Reporter) That’s right. Judge Merchan fined former President Trump and ordered him to take down nine posts attacking witnesses and jurors on social media. Afterwards, former President Trump actually deleted the related post.
Host) Didn’t former President Trump show dissatisfaction with the silence order?
Reporter) Yes, former President Trump has repeatedly argued that the court’s silence order violates the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution. Trump’s lawyer protested, saying, “Former President Trump did not threaten anyone, but was merely responding to a political attack.” However, Judge Merchan pointed out that former President Trump’s argument was “unconvincing and absurd.”
Host) What are the charges against former President Trump for silencing the sexual scandal?
Reporter) Just before the 2016 presidential election, former President Trump paid ‘hush money’ to former adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had sexual intercourse with him, through his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to prevent revelations. In the process, he was indicted on charges of manipulating company records of the ‘Trump Group’, run by former President Trump’s family. There are a total of 34 charges applied to former President Trump. However, former President Trump denies all charges against him.
Host) The related trial started in mid-April, right?
Reporter) Yes, the trial started on April 15th, so it is now in its third week. At the hearing on the 30th, Gary Faro appeared as a witness. Mr. Faro is the banker who was involved in opening the account through which Attorney Cohen paid Mr. Daniels.
Host) Former President Trump continues to attend trial as a defendant, right?
Reporter) Yes, former President Trump must attend the trial four days of the week, excluding Wednesday. However, Judge Merchan announced that he would adjourn on the 17th to grant former President Trump’s request to allow him to attend his youngest son Barron’s high school graduation ceremony.
Host) Doesn’t former President Trump have to juggle this trial schedule and also campaign ahead of the November presidential election?
Reporter) That’s right. After leaving the courtroom on the 30th, former President Trump said Judge Merchan was biased against him and claimed that the trial was preventing him from campaigning. Former President Trump also began fundraising by sending an email to his supporters claiming, “A liberal judge silenced me.” On the 1st, when there is no trial for former President Trump, he will visit the swing states of Wisconsin and Michigan to campaign.
Host) America Now, we will listen to this today.
