Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) sent a letter to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Metro Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith raising concerns about MPD’s refusal to assist in clearing out an encampment of antisemitic protestors on George Washington University’s campus.

In the letter, the lawmakers write: “We are alarmed by reports that the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD) rejected requests from officials at the George Washington University (GWU) to assist in removing the radical, antisemitic, and unlawful protestors who have encamped on the university’s campus and surrounding District of Columbia public land for several days. It is deeply disturbing that while GWU has attempted to take concrete measures to protect the safety of Jewish student body from persecution and harassment, they are hindered by the MPD’s refusal to provide assistance clearing out the encampment, over fears of public criticism.”

The letter continues: “The Mission Statement of the MPD is ‘to safeguard the District of Columbia and protect its residents and visitors with the highest regard for the sanctity of human life… with a focus on service, integrity, and fairness by upholding our city’s motto Justitia Omnibus -- Justice for All.’ It is difficult to see how MPD is following its own mission statement when GWU, a respected institution in Washington, D.C., has stated that the recent actions of protestors represent ‘…an egregious violation of community trust and goes far beyond the boundaries of free expression and the right to protest.’”

The lawmakers conclude by requesting detailed responses to the following questions:

To read the full letter, click here. 

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