Nearly half of Americans believe universities should bar pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus, and an overwhelming majority say school officials should ask police to protect students, according to a Morning Consult poll.
The survey, conducted between April 27 and 28 before the police crackdowns began, found that 47% of those surveyed support banning the anti-Israel protests that have been rocking schools across the country in the past couple of weeks.Thirty percent do not support a ban.
Another 41% say pro-Israel demonstrations should also be prohibited.
A whopping 76% think school officials should reach out to police to protect students, with 76% of Democrats, 79% of Republicans and 71% of Independents agreeing, the poll released Wednesday shows.
Most Americans - 46% to 29% - also believe school leaders should make statements condemning Hamas' "actions against Israel," but 42% say they shouldn't speak out against Israel's "actions in Gaza."
Thirty-three percent support such statements.
More than half - 56% - of Americans 65 and up support blocking the pro-Palestinian protests, while 41% of those 18-34, 45% of those 35-44, and 47% of those 45-64 do.
Asked about one of the demands among protesters that the schools divest from Israeli companies or businesses that profit from the war in Gaza, only 38% of Americans support that idea.
Thirty-two percent oppose and 31% say they don't know or have no opinion.
The survey polled 1,986 registered voters. It has a plus/minus 2 percentage points margin of error.
