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CNN International: Biden on Campus Unrest: Violent Protest is not Protected; Pro-Palestinian Protests Spead to Universities Worldwide; Gaza Journalists Risk Their Lives to Cover the Israel-Hamas War; China's Moon Probe Stands By for Space Launch. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired May 03, 2024 - 04:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[04:30:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. If you're just joining us, here are some of today's top stories.

A senior member of Hamas says the group is studying the latest hostage and ceasefire proposal, quote, with positive spirit. Ismail Haniyeh spoke with Egyptian and Qatari officials on Thursday. Hamas says it plans to send a delegation to Egypt as soon as possible to continue ceasefire talks.

Plus, universities across the U.S. have been calling for stronger police presence to deal with pro-Palestinian protesters and their encampments. Police have now arrested more than 2,000 demonstrators over the past few weeks on at least 40 college campuses in at least 24 states.

Meanwhile, the U.S. president is warning university students across the country that, quote, violent protest is not protected. He was making his first extensive remarks about the latest campus unrest.

Now, some young voters have been souring on Joe Biden's ongoing support for Israel, and Republicans had slammed his relative silence over the growing pro-Palestinian encampments.

CNN's Kayla Tausche reports from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: After weeks of speaking through written statements and spokespeople and amid mounting pressure as protests on campuses nationwide reached a fever pitch, President Biden delivering a forceful condemnation of anything resembling violence or anti-Semitism.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's the right to protest, but not the right to cause chaos. There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind, whether it's anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or discrimination against Arab Americans or Palestinian Americans.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Has the protest forced you to reconsider any of the policies with regard to the region?

BIDEN: No.

TAUSCHE: Officials say the president was motivated in no small part by imagery from UCLA, where hundreds of students were apprehended and law enforcement had to repeatedly move in to clear an encampment that had been growing and where violence had been breaking out.

Senior officials here at the White House had been monitoring channels of communication with law enforcement and local government, while younger staffers were alerting them about firsthand accounts from their friends on campuses about what they were actually seeing happening behind the scenes.

And President Biden has said he has no plans to change his policy as it relates to the Middle East.

The White House has said that it has high hopes that Secretary Blinken can secure a deal in the region to usher in a ceasefire and free dozens of hostages. Of course, that is something that has been in the works for quite some time. And the White House says both the U.S. government and the protesters want the same thing, and that is to end the war.

Kayla Tausche, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The pro-Palestinian protests have been spreading not just through the U.S., but also around the world. Have a look here in Paris. Demonstrations have erupted at two of the country's most prestigious universities, looking at live pictures, I believe, from the Sciences Po University that has been shut down today after activists occupied the institution. We see the police presence there shutting down the street.

[04:35:00]

Sciences Po is, of course, the alma mater of many French presidents, including Emmanuel Macron, and it has strong ties to Columbia University in New York.

Earlier, French police cleared protesters from the Sorbonne.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): When boycott movements are massive, they can make governments back down. So we have to do it. But you also have to protest. You have to block your university. The mobilization has to grow, grow and keep growing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So as you can see here, rallies are happening in many corners of the world. Pro-Palestinian encampments have been appearing at some seven universities across Australia. Jewish groups at the University of Sydney held a counter-protest today, and both sides remained peaceful.

From marching against the Vietnam War to fighting South Africa's racist apartheid system, college campuses have long been the harbinger of social and policy change in the U.S. and abroad, but observers are asking if the current campus protests will affect what's happening in Gaza. CNN's Brian Todd takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 1968, student protesters at New York's Columbia University take over several buildings and briefly even take the dean hostage. One of the buildings they seized, Hamilton Hall, which students occupied during recent protests at Columbia.

TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: 1968, the first time it was occupied, Hamilton Hall was the scene of a dramatic police action that resulted in the arrest of 700 people.

TODD (voice-over): Those protests against the Vietnam War had been taking place for years on college campuses across America and would continue for a few more years. From Columbia to Cal Berkeley to Kent State. In 1969, student protesters at Harvard took over and occupied University Hall, marching school officials out of the building.

IMANI CHEERS, PROFESSOR, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: What we're seeing right now is students really engaging and not only using their voices but using their bodies. And that's the way that we saw students in the 60s doing it.

TODD (voice-over): The primary difference between then and now? The scale of the violence. While skirmishes have broken out at UCLA and some other campuses during the current demonstrations, these protests have been, for the most part, peaceful.

In the Vietnam era, violence broke out routinely and on many campuses, students often brawling with police.

JULIE REUBEN, PROFESSOR, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Disciplining students, calling in the police, having protests removed. That tended to increase the sympathy for protesters, build the size of protests, and also increase the voice of more extreme activists.

TODD (voice-over): In two horrific episodes, the Vietnam era violence turned deadly. In May 1970, on the campus of Kent State University, Ohio National Guard troops opened fire on student protesters, killing four of them and injuring several others.

Days later, during racial injustice protests at Jackson State College in Mississippi, police fired at a dormitory, killing two students and injuring a dozen others.

Possibly a closer comparison to what's going on now took place in the 1980s, when students across America protested against apartheid in South Africa. They called on schools to divest themselves from companies and groups that supported the apartheid regime in South Africa, much like students are now calling on colleges to divest themselves from Israeli-linked companies.

Really, when we talk about boycott, divestment, and sanction, that's what it was. We are going to use non-violent, peaceful resistance.

TODD: Another dynamic that hasn't changed across these eras of protest.

CHEERS: Really when you talk about boycotts, divestments, sanctions, that's what it was. We used non-violent peaceful resistance.

TODD (voice-over): Another dynamic that hasn't changed across these eras of protest --

LAUREN DUNCAN, PROFESSOR, SMITH COLLEGE: They've got a lot of energy, and they're idealistic, and they like to protest when things feel unjust or seem unjust to them.

TODD: -- but the actual results could be different this time around. The protests of the Vietnam era prompted colleges and much of the country to change their collective view of the Vietnam War. The protests of the 80s led colleges to divest themselves from doing business with South Africa, and the U.S. government later followed suit.

Right now, it's not clear if the current protests will change anything regarding the Israel-Hamas war or the U.S. government's handling of it.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: In Gaza on Thursday, a small reason to celebrate. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, a baby was born at the Al-Amal Hospital. The Red Crescent posted a picture of the baby on social media on Thursday, saying, it's the first birth since the maternity ward reopened.

The hospital, located in the city of Khan Younis, closed on March 25th as the Israel Defense Forces launched a military operation there. The Palestinian Red Crescent says medical teams and patients were forced to evacuate. At the time, the IDF said they were dismantling terrorist infrastructure and eliminating operatives.

Today is World Press Freedom Day. For decades, the U.N. has observed May 3rd as a time to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press around the world. This year, it's dedicated to the importance of journalism amid the current global environmental crisis.

[04:40:00]

In a statement released Thursday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said journalists are the ultimate allies in human rights, daring to challenge power and risking their lives to document atrocities, corruption and crime and to stand up against oppression. Now, the Israel-Hamas war is taking a heavy toll on journalists

covering the conflict. Ninety-seven journalists and media workers have been confirmed killed since the war started last October. Another 45 have been reported injured, missing or arrested. CNN's Nada Bashir introduces us to journalists putting their lives on the line in Gaza to document the war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What should be a moment of reflection reduced to a hurried memory recorded on an iPhone.

A young girl, now an orphan, pays her last respects.

A drop in a sea of tragedy, marking its witnesses and victims alike. But this is the story of the person behind the camera. One of many risking their lives for the truth.

KHADER AL-ZANOUN, JOURNALIST IN GAZA (through translator): One scene I'll always remember was in al-Shifa hospital in November last year. It was during a siege.

BASHIR (voice-over): Khader al-Zainon has been documenting the assault on Gaza since the war began. Sending material to CNN, our gateway into a war zone sealed off by Israeli authorities.

ZANOUN (through translator): They were taking this woman to be buried in a mass grave, and I saw this little girl following the crowd. She told me her mother was a victim, and she wanted to say goodbye to her. She really affected me a lot. Tears were falling when I saw her running after her mother.

BASHIR (voice-over): Living with his wife and children in Gaza City, in the north, one of Gaza's worst affected regions, he shows us his home, largely destroyed in the onslaught. Part residence, part bureau.

Everything is a challenge, from the search for signal to transmit the day's footage, to the search for food.

ZANOUN (through translator); There have been days when we've eaten donkey and horse food, corn and fodder, as well as barley just to stay alive.

BASHIR (voice-over): For journalists in Gaza, the biggest challenges are the most basic ones.

Sami Shehadah is a photojournalist for Turkish-based broadcaster TRT. He was filming at a refugee camp in central Gaza.

SAMI SHEHADAH, TRT JOURNALIST (through translator): We went to cover the movement of displaced people, and as soon as we arrived at the place, we were targeted.

BASHIR (voice-over): Sami had to have his leg amputated above the knee and is now awaiting medical evacuation to Turkey. At least 97 members of the press have been killed in what the Committee to Protect Journalists has termed the deadliest period for media workers since its records began. But that figure, according to the CPJ, is likely to be much higher.

And yet, despite the risks, Palestinian journalists in Gaza keep doing their jobs, working in groups for protection, covering stories, even if it means getting there on a donkey and cart.

ZANOUN (through translator): Every day we wake up, we thank God that we are still alive, and that we are still able to continue documenting the events in the Gaza Strip.

BASHIR (voice-over): In the belief that one day, his work and the work of Palestinian journalists like him won't have been in vain.

ZANOUN (through translator): Our hope is that this war will end, God willing, and that we will be able to save and protect our children after these targeted attacks and this continuing war, because they want to live like the rest of the world's children, in security and peace.

BASHIR (voice-over): Nada Bashir, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Heavy rain and flooding caused devastation in Kenya. Coming up, what officials are now ordering those caught up in the rising waters to do.

And standby for launch. China will soon be sending a space probe to the far side of the moon. We'll have a live report coming up. Please stay with us.

[04:45:15]

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BRUNHUBER: And China is counting down right now on a mission to send a spacecraft to the moon with the goal of bringing back samples from the far side of the lunar surface. This could help scientists peer back into the evolution of the Earth's closest neighbor as well as the solar system. It's a key milestone in China's push to become a dominant space power.

And we're joined now live by CNN's Marc Stewart from the Wenchang Space Center. So Marc, I can imagine plenty of excitement there as the spacecraft is about to take off somewhere behind you there, I take it. So tell us about the mood there, what's going to happen moments from now and of course, the lofty aims of this Chinese mission.

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kim, this is good morning. It is already Friday afternoon here in China. The launch still taking place as scheduled around 40 minutes from now.

Part of an effort that some people are describing as a space race. One former astronaut from NASA calling this a space competition. Regardless, though, of what you want to call it, there is no question China has very strong ambitions for space and the heavens above.

This particular mission has a focus on the moon. As you mentioned, a spacecraft will land and collect material from the far side of the moon, a previously untouched area. Part of this bigger effort by China to try to get a manned mission on the moon, get a human on the moon by the end of the decade, as well as build some kind of lunar research station.

But let's be very clear. This is not just about science. This is about national pride. It's about patriotism. In fact, Xi Jinping, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, describing a fully fledged Chinese space program as an eternal dream. China maintains that their view towards space toward the moon is peaceful.

But some in the United States government feel otherwise, suggesting that China is using its civilian space program for military purposes. Even -- even going so as far to suggest that China may be looking for a takeover of the moon.

But all of that aside, there is a tremendous amount of national pride. People are very excited here. There's been a big space tourism business that has developed over the years.

We've been here on Hainan Island, the southernmost part of China for the last few days.

[04:50:00]

And there are tourists from all over. A lot of families are here. Space paraphernalia, space souvenirs on nearly every corner.

People have already started to line the beach. In fact, when we went to get breakfast the other day, there was a giant rocket at the breakfast buffet. So it's just a reflection of how exciting of a time this is here in China.

But Kim, we should point out that China is not alone in its space ambitions. Japan, Russia, among the many nations, India, that have all had their eye toward the moon and working toward that.

This is not the first space mission I've been to. It was just a few months ago. I was in the Gobi Desert. That's when China launched three astronauts to its international space station, the only space station in the sky right now.

Yet again, a representation of just how competitive and how important the space program is here to China -- Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, just to build on that, I mean, in the recent past, China has really accomplished some impressive feats in the space realm, right?

STEWART: Absolutely. I mean, it has been focusing on these lunar launches for the past decade and has had some success. One challenge, though, that China faces compared to the United States, and it's one reason why some people may say the United States has an edge, is because of the strong commercial space program in the United States from people such as Elon Musk.

But China has really built this program from the ground up. It is having success and is getting attention from other nations by its fast and aggressive pace. But still, if we look at the global landscape, a lot of people are going to point to the United States as having the upper hand.

But no question, this launch today is something that will give China bragging rights --Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. But putting, you know, humans on the moon again is certainly an aim of NASA, and they're taking steps in that direction. But, you know, China is certainly on the way to that as well.

Talk to me more about the operation to get men on the moon from China.

STEWART: Well, again, this has been a priority of Xi Jinping, calling the space program his eternal dream. And, you know, in many cultures, especially many Asian cultures, the moon itself is just such a big cultural center point, historical, and has such deep meaning for many people. But the Chinese government has made it very clear that their goal is to get a man on the moon sometime in 2030.

And it's not a message that we are hearing here for the first time. When we were attending the previous space launch with the three astronauts to the space station, it was brought up again. So this is a national priority for China.

And, you know, there's no question it gives bragging rights to the rest of the world, but also can uplift the spirit of citizens, especially at a time when China is dealing with a lot of obstacles, especially economic ones -- Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. I should apologize. I keep saying man on the moon. But, of course, you know, China also has many women astronauts as well who could certainly be part of that moon mission that we keep talking about.

Really great to have you there as we look forward to that launch of the spacecraft there in China. Marc Stewart at the Wenchang Space Center in China. Thank you so much.

And we will be right back.

[04:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: A new U.S. government study shows bird flu was likely infecting cows in the U.S. for several months before it was confirmed. Agricultural officials released the analysis on Wednesday ahead of peer review. The research shows the H1N1 virus may have been circulating in dairy cows for at least four months before it was detected.

And that it crossed over from wild birds to cows between mid-November and mid-January. Officials confirmed the presence of bird flu in cows on March 25th. Since then, the study says at least three dozen infected herds have been reported in nine states.

The study adds that tests on samples of pasteurized milk confirmed the virus wasn't active and couldn't make anyone sick.

Golfing legend Tiger Woods is getting a taste of what his less talented competitors must sometimes feel. He's accepted a special exemption, essentially a free pass, to play in the U.S. Open in June. Now ranked 789th, the former world number one didn't qualify for the tournament on his own. And his five-year exemption after winning the Masters in 2019 has run out. One golf official says the decision to let Tiger play was easy. The Open's story, he said, quote, could not be written without Tiger Woods.

All right, thanks so much for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. CNN "THIS MORNING" is next after a quick break.