Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
Student Anti-War Protests Take The World By Storm; Blinken Presses For Efforts To Increase Humanitarian Aid Into Gaza; Floods And Landslides Across Kenya Claim More Than 180 Lives; House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene Promises To Kick Fellow Republican Mike Johnson Out Of A Job In Terms Of Him Being Speaker. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired May 01, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:30]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Arrests, fireworks, and violence on U.S. campuses. The student protests that are taking the world by storm.
ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: "One World" starts right now. We'll have the latest on the student demonstrations taking place across the
nation. Nearly 300 Columbia students arrested in the middle of the night. Police say that they think they're thinking about deploying more officers
tonight.
GOLODRYGA: Also ahead, the Florida law that brings the time limit for abortion down to a point before most women even know they're pregnant.
ASHER: And later, just what the doctor ordered. Some good news. The heartwarming, made for Hollywood moment on the runway.
GOLODRYGA: Hello everyone, live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. You are indeed watching "One World". Across the United States, authorities are cracking down on campus protests against the
war in Gaza.
GOLODRYGA: From Los Angeles to Tucson, New Orleans, and New York, student protesters have been detained amid concerns about escalating chaos and
violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: At UCLA in Los Angeles, pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with pro-Israel groups. This new video shows a group of protesters trying to
move the barricades meant to keep the two sides apart. Police eventually arrived to separate the demonstrators. Now, at least one student blames
UCLA's administration for not doing more to protect students.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VINCENT DOEHR, UCLA PHD STUDENT: I don't know why people are now trying to justify violence against students on university campuses. I thought that
the U.C. was supposed to care about the safety of its students. Clearly, that's not the case. They still allowed them onto campus to attack us using
weapons such as pepper spray, mace, boards, bricks, fireworks. Not firecrackers. Fireworks were shot directly at students and exploded at
ground level inside the encampment. I think that's unacceptable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Meantime, on the East Coast, New York Police -- NYPD, stormed the Columbia University building, Hamilton Hall occupied by protesters, they
removed students. From there, late Tuesday, the protesters had been demanding the school divest and cut ties with any company doing business
with Israel. New York Mayor Eric Adams said the police made nearly 300 arrests between Columbia University and City College of New York. He blames
the unrest mostly on what he called outside agitators.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK MAYOR: There is a movement to radicalize young people and I'm not going to wait until it's done and all of a sudden acknowledge
the existence of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN Security Correspondent Josh Campbell is at UCLA with an update for us. Josh, that was the mayor addressing the issues here in New
York City. It was interesting how quickly things escalated in Los Angeles yesterday. Just yesterday morning, the city's mayor, Karen Bass, said that
the protests had been peaceful. That quickly changed overnight and now things look like they have returned somewhat to a more peaceful setting
now. Walk us through what happened.
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, much quieter right now. Of course, the big question is what happens tonight? Do we see a repeat? Right
now, these barriers are back up. This is that encampment that has been going on here for days with pro-Palestinian demonstrators who are refusing
to leave despite the university saying that this is, in their words, unlawful.
As you mentioned, last night, we saw this violent confrontation with essentially counter demonstrators who were coming, lobbing fireworks into
this camp. You saw some skirmishes, as well. This has been the site of a lot of tension because we've heard Jewish students, for example, as well,
say that they don't feel safe.
We've seen video footage of them, Jewish students, being physically blocked from walking around campus. So, again, a lot of tension that coming to a
head last night. Now, right now, we see a robust law enforcement presence. I'll pan over here. You can see this is much different than what we saw
last night, but you have multiple agencies that are here, the California Highway Patrol.
In the distance here, you can see beyond the unarmed security personnel, there are dozens and dozens of police officers who are now on scene. Again,
they were brought in after those clashes last night. And as I mentioned, the big question, do we see some type of continuation of that violence
tonight, as well? Authorities are still going to remain here, we're told, but again, that is the big question.
[12:05:00]
And finally, as we're pointing out, we've seen law enforcement handle these protests very differently across the country. For example, at Columbia, the
university engaged in negotiations with protesters, ultimately deciding to go in.
Other campuses, the police from the get-go have gone in, and of course, it's a precarious situation for police. I cover law enforcement around the
world, and, you know, a lot of these demonstrations, we've heard the pro- Palestinian protesters saying, we don't want police here, go away.
Some of the anti-police rhetoric, of course, when violence happens, the police are the ones that are called. And so, for police, it's a precarious
situation, as well. Again, right now, quiet, much quieter than we saw last night. Authorities hoping that remains the case tonight, guys.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, it is really notable that yesterday we learned that Columbia University officials had asked for the NYPD to remain present on
campus through at least May 17th, that's two days after graduation. So, this clearly isn't something they're anticipating that will end anytime
soon. Josh, keep us posted on what we hear from UCLA and the LAPD, as well. Thank you so much.
CAMPBELL: You bet.
ASHER: Yeah, they learned their lesson. The last time they went in, they removed the encampments, they left, and then the encampments came back, the
protesters came back. So, this time --
GOLODRYGA: They're staying put.
ASHER: Right, they're staying put. All right. As those protests against the war in Gaza play out across the United States, America's top diplomat is
urging Hamas to accept a peace deal that is currently on the table.
GOLODRYGA: That's right. Antony Blinken is in Israel right now where he held high-stakes meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other
top officials. Blinken is ramping up the pressure for Hamas to accept a proposal by Egypt that calls for a pause in fighting and the release of
some of the hostages in stages.
ASHER: Earlier, the U.S. Secretary of State met protesters calling for the release of hostages. Blinken assured them that the U.S. will not rest until
all of them are back home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: Bringing your loved ones home is at the heart of everything we're trying to do, and we will not rest until
everyone, men, women, soldiers, civilians, young, old, is back home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: And during his visit, Blinken is also pressing for efforts to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza, where the United Nations has warned of
impending famine because of food shortages there.
GOLODRYGA: Israeli officials say more than 300 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday. Now, the U.N. is acknowledging a higher flow of
aid this month, but the Secretary General says while there has been progress, much more is urgently needed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: We have seen incremental progress recently, but much more is urgently needed, including the promised opening
of the two crossing points between Israel and northern Gaza, so that aid can be brought into Gaza from Ashdod port and Jordan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, we have reporters standing by to cover this developing story. We've got Paula Hancocks, who's in Abu Dhabi for us, and U.S.
Security Correspondent Kylie Atwood is in Washington, D.C. Let's talk about Anthony Blinken in the region, obviously, Kylie. His main focus right now
is on that ceasefire deal,
Blinken basically saying in the past that Israel has put forward an extremely generous offer to Hamas. Now, in his view, Hamas just needs to
accept it. What is he saying to ensure that both sides, at least the Israeli side, comes to the table? What is he saying to ensure there is a
deal at the end of this?
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, well, listen, I think it's a good question. I mean, he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
on this trip today to Israel, and they discussed a range of things, including, of course, what are these immediate efforts to try and get a
ceasefire in conjunction with the release of hostages.
The readout from the State Department said that that was, you know, essentially the top thing that he discussed with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
They didn't get into the details in terms of, you know, any pressure that the U.S. is putting on the Israeli side.
But the Secretary, for his part, has essentially said that Hamas must accept this deal because Israel has come quite far. They are offering a
good deal here, and it's clear that U.S. officials think that might be the best deal that Israel is going to be willing to offer. So, the pressure is
really being put on Hamas to accept the deal at this point.
But just to kind of broaden the scope of the discussions, there are obviously a lot of other topics that were discussed with Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu today, including the humanitarian aid getting into Gaza. The Secretary discussed the uptick in aid that is getting into Gaza, but
also said that Israel needs to accelerate and sustain that support going into Gaza, which obviously has been a major issue for the last few months
here.
And they also discussed the Rafah situation. Just earlier this week, we heard from Prime Minister Netanyahu saying that he intends to go forward
with an invasion into Rafah, no matter if there's a deal or not. We don't know exactly what the Secretary said on that point, but the readout says
that he did make quite clear, quote, the Secretary reiterated the U.S. clear position on Rafah.
[12:10:00]
And that position, as you well know, has been that there can be no ground invasion into Rafah without a clear plan for those 1.5 million civilians
who are on the ground there. And the U.S. has not seen any plan to get those civilians out of harm's way.
I also want to note that the Secretary just made a visit to Kerem Shalom, which is a border crossing, a kibbutz, in Israel along the border with
Gaza. He was able to get a briefing on the humanitarian situation of that aid going into Gaza, also on the efforts to stand up deconfliction between
the Israelis and those humanitarian groups. And he was also able to walk up to the border, according to The Pool, traveling with him, go up some stairs
and look over those concrete walls into Gaza.
So, he got a view into this current conflict pretty close, as close as anyone really can right now. And so, that's significant. He's on his way
out, headed back to Washington, D.C. And obviously, all eyes are on what Hamas is going to say in response to this proposal that is on the table
right now.
ASHER: Yeah, and as you point out, a lot of people believe that this is Israel's best offer. And I'm glad you mentioned that it wasn't just the
ceasefire deal that was discussed here, but also the situation in Rafah. Netanyahu, saying that regardless of whether there is a deal or not, that
he does plan to still go into Rafah, no matter what. Kylie Atwood, live for us there. Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: Well, this is Secretary Blinken's seventh trip to the region now since October 7th. For a wider view from the region, let's bring in CNN's
Paula Hancocks, who joins us now live from Abu Dhabi. Paula.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was a trip which followed Secretary Blinken's visit to Jordan and also to Saudi Arabia. Every time he
comes to this region, he does try and visit as many countries as possible. Because from the Biden administration's point of view, it is important to
shore up regional support for what they see is hopefully a deal that will be done to release hostages and also to create a ceasefire in Gaza.
So, we have heard from the Secretary that this is a good offer that is on the table at this point. We are hearing also from one Hamas senior leader
who has said that what Israel has not managed to achieve through war, it will not be able to achieve through negotiations and through pressure. So,
although not rejecting the proposal that's on the table at this point, really implying that Hamas may not be willing to agree to it at this point.
But we do know that the ultimate decision ends with the Hamas leader in Gaza, and that's Yayah Sinwar, and there was expected to be a decision by
him any day now. It was expected potentially yesterday, today, and we've heard from Secretary Blinken that there could be a deal in the coming days,
at least he is hoping for that.
But what we are seeing inside Gaza at this point, as well, even though there are more aid trucks that are managing to get in, we heard from the
U.N. group UNRWA that more trucks were able to get into Gaza in April than at any time before the October of last year. So, a significant amount more
is getting in, but it is still falling woefully short.
We saw just this Tuesday that World Central Kitchen started its operations once again and provided some 200,000 meals. Now, it hadn't been in Gaza
providing these meals since seven of its workers were killed by an Israeli airstrike about a month ago.
So, we are seeing increasing aid getting in, but we are still hearing the fears, the warnings from humanitarian groups, from aid groups of famine, of
disease, of a lack of food and water and shelter that is affecting civilians and their daily life in Gaza, a daily battle to try and survive
bombings. But of course you do have disease, the fears of famine on top of that, as well.
So, Secretary Blinken was in the region to discuss this with the Israeli leaders and the fact that he went down to Kerem Shalom, one of the land
crossings, is significant because the Biden administration has been very vocal, pushing for more land crossings to be opened, in particular the Erez
crossing in the north of Gaza, which opened recently and was allowing a pinpointed effort to try and get food to where it was needed most.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and this as the U.S. continues construction on the humanitarian aid pier, as well. Paula Hancocks, thank you.
ASHER: Thank you, Paula. All right. Iran is showing off its firepower. You of course remember that Tehran fired hundreds of drones and missiles
towards Israel in an unprecedented attack last month in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in Syria.
[12:15:00]
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran, where military officers were keen to give him a look at their arsenal. Here's his exclusive report.
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Iran attacked Israel in mid-April, they fired hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and
drones developed by the elite Revolutionary Guard Corps aerospace forces.
PLEITGEN: So, these two were used in the Israel operation.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Now, the Revolutionary Guard showed us the types of weapons they used to strike Israel, including two ballistic missiles, the
Amad and the other, with a range of more than a thousand miles, able to carry about a half ton warhead.
PLEITGEN: How accurate are these?
ALI BELLALI, RETIRED BRIGADIER GENERAL, ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS: Accurate -- less than five meters.
PLEITGEN: Less than five meters, you can hit the target.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Brigadier General Ali Bellali was himself once a missile commander in the Revolutionary Guard. He says Iranian missiles
managed to hit two targets in Israel, including an air base, in retaliation for the bombing of Iran's embassy compound in Syria. While the U.S. and
Israel claim to have shot down nearly all of Iran's missiles and drones, the general says Tehran showed the power of its aerospace forces.
"Today, our drones and missiles have become an important factor of strength and the execution of power in the world," he says. He also showed us this
cruise missile, a type also used in the strikes and arguably currently the most infamous drone in the world, the Shahed 136. Can you show me the
warhead? I've never seen the Shahed warhead before.
BELLALI: Penetration.
PLEITGEN: Yeah.
BELLALI: And then it goes inside the missile.
PLEITGEN: Into the missile and then it explodes. Okay.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): While the Iranians acknowledge using Shaheds against Israel, the U.S. and Ukraine accuse Tehran of also giving hundreds of these
drones to Russia, Moscow using them to attack Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.
The Iranians continue to deny those accusations. The general tells me the Shahed's attack in swarms often fired off secretly from unmarked trucks
like this one. "Everything is pre-programmed," he says. "The flight route is chosen according to the enemy's capabilities and blind spots of radars
and all the elements that can help us reach the target."
While tensions between Iran and Israel have somewhat eased after they traded direct military blows for the first time, the general warns Iran has
even more modern weapons at its disposal. "The only path for them is to have logical and wise negotiations with us," he says. "In our defense
capabilities, we don't depend on anyone. We've had good progress in this field and we will progress more. There are achievements that have not yet
been talked about." Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Our thanks to Fred for that report. Meantime, coming up for us, it just became much harder to get an abortion in southern United States. We
will have details of an abortion ban that just went into effect in Florida.
ASHER: And also, get this. Donald Trump saying that the biggest mistake he made in his first term was the fact that he was too nice. Just one of many
comments that he made in a brand new interview.
GOLODRYGA: And a battle on Capitol Hill is brewing. New details surrounding the threat to remove yet another House Speaker. That story after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:21:15]
ASHER: All right. For weeks, U.S. House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has been promising to kick fellow Republican Mike Johnson out of a
job in terms of him being Speaker.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. Let's remind viewers of her grievance. And that was his decision to bring the House a foreign aid package that included funding for
Ukraine. This, of course, being a top priority of President Joe Biden and the majority of Republicans. Well, the Republican congresswoman announced a
short time ago that she will, in fact, force a vote next week to remove Johnson from his job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARJORIE TAYLOR-GREENE, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: I think every member of Congress needs to take that vote and let the chips fall where they may. And
so next week, I am going to be calling this motion to vacate. Absolutely calling it. I can't wait to see Democrats go out and support a Republican
Speaker and have to go home to their primaries and have to run for Congress again. Having supported a Republican Speaker, a Christian conservative, I
think that'll play well. I'm excited about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Greene, pictured here at a Donald Trump rally, is reportedly good friends with the former president, who recently expressed his support for
Johnson. Her vote to vacate our Speaker reportedly going against his wishes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Aren't you defying the former president's wishes?
TAYLOR-GREENE: Absolutely not. I'm the biggest supporter of President Trump, and that's why I proudly wear this MAGA hat. I fight for his agenda
every single day, and that's why I'm fighting here against my own Republican conference to fight harder against the Democrats. Mike Johnson
has fully funded the Department of Justice that wants to put President Trump in jail, giving him a death sentence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: And speaking of Donald Trump, he is actually not ruling out the potential for political violence if he loses the elections this year.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, this is just one of a series of controversial comments Trump made in a new interview with "Time" magazine. When asked if his
supporters would turn to violence again, like they did on January 6th, the former president said, I think we're going to win. And if we don't win, you
know, it depends. It always depends on the fairness of an election.
Well, in the wide ranging interview, Trump also said that he would be willing to use the military to deport millions of undocumented migrants. He
refused to comment -- commit to defending NATO allies who don't meet defense spending targets if they are attacked. He spoke about firing
federal prosecutors who refuse his orders to prosecute someone. And he said he would not rule out allowing states to monitor pregnant women to ensure
that they did not violate abortion bans.
ASHER: And speaking of abortion bans at the stroke of midnight on Wednesday, it became a lot harder to get an abortion in the southern part
of the United States.
GOLODRYGA: That's right. The state of Florida's new restrictions on abortion took effect, outlawing almost all abortions conducted after six
weeks of pregnancy, which is before many women even know they're pregnant. Well, until today, Florida allowed abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy.
And for that reason, it was a destination for many women from parts of the southern U.S. where abortion laws were more restrictive.
Well, let's bring in CNN Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell, who is at a Florida abortion provider. I believe you're in Jacksonville, Florida, Meg.
So, Meg, aside from the fact that six weeks, which we've talked about a lot, six weeks is before many women know that they're pregnant.
The fact is, and this is sort of an alarming statistic, 60 percent of abortions in Florida take place after the six weeks mark. So, this is a
huge blow for women in that state. Just walk us through what happens now in terms of where women can go who are not just in Florida, women across the
southern eastern part of the United States.
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, this has huge effects, as you said, for people both in this state and really across this entire region.
[12:25:00]
Last year, about 7000 people sought abortions in Florida every month. And a lot of those people did come from out of state. That accounted for about
one in 12 abortions nationwide and one in three in the south. We spoke with a patient here at the clinic yesterday in the hours before these laws
changed. She was seeking a medication abortion.
She's the mother of two children already, and she said she didn't want to have her face on camera and only wanted to share her first name, Candace,
for privacy reasons. This is what she told us about the impact of the ban.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDACE, PATIENT AT ABORTION CLINIC: I've experienced traumatic births. I went on to have to help these children, but it was very touch and go. It's
high risk. And now being over that 35 mark, it's even more high risk for me to get pregnant. So, it's very scary that these laws are being put into
place, you know, in my life matters. And it's just a tough thing to have to go through. I don't think anybody plans to do something like this until it
happens to them and they're faced with that decision.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TIRRELL: Florida has been seen as kind of an outlier state in the south, even for many decades in terms of its access to abortion. Experts told us
there is less of an evangelical population here. So, even though there is a more conservative population here, abortion has been more accessible. And
other states around here have had stricter laws.
So, as many as 8000 people came to Florida across state lines last year to get abortions. Now, the closest states are going to be North Carolina,
where there is a 12-week limit and beyond that to Virginia. So, that adds hundreds of miles potentially to where people need to go. There will be a
ballot initiative about abortion in Florida in November. So, that is where a lot of folks are looking next. Of course, this clinic, a woman's health
here, our woman's choice here in Jacksonville, just trying to stay open until then, guys.
ASHER: Meg Tirrell, live for us there, thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: Well, we want to get a doctor's perspective on all of this. Joining us now is Dr. Robin Schickler. She is the chief medical officer for
Planned Parenthood in Southwest and Central Florida. Doctor, thanks so much for joining us. We see the consequences and the significance of the Supreme
Court overturning Roe v. Wade. I mean, just look at Florida specifically, how much more draconian the laws there have become going from 24 weeks then
to 15 weeks and now six weeks.
You have been performing these procedures now for six years. And you wrote in an op ed that you believe the six week abortion ban will kill patients.
Can you give us an explanation as to why you believe so?
ROBYN SCHICKLER, OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY SPECIALIST IN TAMPA, FLORIDA: Yes. So, this six-week ban, first of all, is not based on any medical
evidence. No abortion ban has any medical evidence behind it or is medically necessary. And what I meant by that is patients can get sick in
pregnancy. Six weeks is not very long to figure out that you're pregnant. In fact, most patients don't know until they're six weeks or more.
You know, when I wrote that and when I think about it, I think about the patient that I've seen that had preeclampsia or a potentially life-
threatening hypertensive disorder in all of her prior pregnancies. She would get sicker and sicker and sicker.
Each pregnancy had to deliver earlier and earlier. And she was trying to avoid that risk. Well, with a six week ban, we wouldn't be able to take
care of her past six weeks. And so, patients are going to have to continue their pregnancies if they can't get out of the state.
ASHER: And what sort of pressure, what sort of strain, I should ask, does this put on abortion clinics in other states, right? Thinking about North
Carolina, for example, where there's a 12 week ban, places like Virginia. Because this is not just about Floridian women. This is also about women in
Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia. I could go on and on.
This is about the entire southeast region. We're talking about millions of people now having to resort to potentially just going to North Carolina. I
mean, this must put an enormous strain on clinics in places like Virginia and North Carolina.
SCHICKLER: You're exactly right for pointing that out. So, in Florida, we have taken care of patients that are out of state from the southeast
because we are the closest, the easiest to get to. And so, now, those patients will have to go to the very few states that allow abortions. And
so, we anticipate a big surge in many of those states. So, including places like North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois and even Ohio, patients will have
to go as far as there to get care.
[12:30:00]
GOLODRYGA: Specifically, as it relates to this Florida law, it also mandates a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion can be performed. And
a tele-health check in, it can't qualify as part of that 24-hour period. It has to be in in-person visits to the doctor's office. So, how does that
impact patients who, let's say, came in yesterday and they were just at the cusp of six weeks, but perhaps today, it's a completely different scenario
for them?
SCHICKLER: Yeah, so even though the ban went into effect today, because we have that 24-hour waiting period, it actually went into effect -- in effect
yesterday for a lot of our patients. So, we did have patients yesterday that we had to help navigate out of state because they were already past
the limit and we couldn't take care of them same day. And so, by today, they wouldn't be able to get care here.
GOLODRYGA: Wow.
ASHER: As you know, and I think this is probably one of the scariest aspects of all of this. It is now a felony, right? There's now a felony in
Florida for a doctor to perform or actively participate in an abortion after six weeks gestation. Now, there are exceptions, of course, when it
comes to incest or rape or, you know, if a woman's life is imminently in danger because of a pregnancy.
But that notwithstanding, I mean, it's still going to be such a risk for doctors to perform any. I mean, just the uncertainty in terms of what that
even means, whether a patient's life is at risk imminently. How do you prove it? Is it subjective, et cetera? It is such a risk for doctors to
still perform an abortion under those circumstances, despite all of the caveats.
SCHICKLER: Yes. And that's why you're seeing such a chilling effect in other states. That's why we're seeing stories of patients in other states
not getting the care that they may need, because doctors are afraid. And it's true. So, like the patient I talked about with a history of
preeclampsia, she would have gotten preeclampsia again. She would have gotten sicker. But would she qualify for the health exception? Like how
sick does someone have to get?
ASHER: Right.
SCHICKLER: Do they even have to get sick before we can provide to them?
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, more than 80,000 women in the U.S. get an abortion in Florida annually. That's the statistics, which breaks down to about one in
12 abortions nationwide. This is obviously a huge game changer for the state. The whole country is watching it and could have monumental impacts
when voters go to the polls in November, given that abortion is now up on the ballot again. Dr. Robin Shickler, thank you so much.
ASHER: Thank you, Doctor.
SCHICKLER: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, coming up for us, police detain protesters at colleges across the country. We'll run down all the hot spots and what's being done
to keep the peace after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:36:43]
GOLODRYGA: All right, welcome back to "One World", I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. We've, of course, been tracking protests at American college campuses for days. And now some, of course, have taken a
violent turn. In Los Angeles, police have resorted calm, restored calm after pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters clashed on the campus of
UCLA overnight.
And late Tuesday, NYPD stormed the Columbia University building that was occupied by protesters there. You see them going in. They made more than
300 arrests between Columbia and also another college in the city. And police at the University of Arizona used chemical irritants to clear
protesters from what they called an unlawful assembly.
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Gabe Cohen joins us now from Columbia University, where students are back out on the street. Gabe, yesterday, not only did we see
the NYPD come in for the night, but we got word that Columbia had asked officials to stay on campus through at least May 17th. Walk us through
where things stand now.
GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, some of the groups that were out here protesting in recent days, including yesterday when police actually came in
and cleared the encampment, are back. They just held a press conference a few minutes ago. And now there's a protest. You can hear some of the chants
happening right now.
A lot of criticism for Columbia and the administrators here for calling in the NYPD to clear the protest late last night. I want to bring in Melissa.
You're one of the protesters you were telling me who was here last night, who has been here in recent days. You're a grad student here at Columbia.
Talk me through what you experienced here last night when NYPD came in.
MELISSA, PROTESTER: Last night, we were peacefully protesting, demanding the institution's divestment and making our stand against the genocide in
Palestine. When NYPD came in, they pushed all press away from where we were so they couldn't document anything. And then they ambushed us. They tackled
us. They beat us.
And I want to also highlight that majority of the protesters there last night were young women -- were young college women from marginalized
communities. And this is what the NYPD did to us.
COHEN: Were you arrested last night?
MELISSA: I was handcuffed last night.
COHEN: But you were not processed. You were not brought downtown and processed?
MELISSA: No.
COHEN: Okay. What -- what is your response to the administration's actions up to this point? Calling in the NYPD last night, what's your message for
the administration?
MELISSA: First of all, I'm very angry and disappointed by what the administration has decided to do, and I want them to know that we will not
stop until we get divestment, until the genocide in Palestine ends.
COHEN: And a lot of counter protesters and commentary from the mayor and the administration has said protesters had broken into Hamilton Hall, that
that is why the NYPD was called in. The destruction of property pushed them over the edge. What's your response to that?
MELISSA: The reason why Minouche Shafik called NYPD -- her reasoning was a lie. She said she called NYPD because the people that were leading this --
leading this protest, were being led by non -- by people who were not affiliated with the university. However, everyone in there were students or
affiliates with the university. So, she lied.
COHEN: So, you're saying the mayor's claims that these are outside agitators, not people affiliated with the school who were part of this
protest, you're saying that was a lie.
[12:40:00]
MELISSA: That was a lie. Every single person in there was either a student or affiliate of the university.
COHEN: What about the concerns we've heard about alleged anti-Semitism in chants or signs or treatment of Jewish students? What's your response to
that?
MELISSA: We have Jewish peers and faculty supporting us. We have Jewish faculty who have condemned the arrest that have been executed on students.
COHEN: What do you expect in the days ahead? We're obviously seeing the first protest that appears around campus since the NYPD cleared the camp.
What do you think is going to happen? Or do you plan on coming back? Do you plan on continuing the protest?
MELISSA: We're not going to stop. And I think what the administration did last night was a huge mistake on them. This only added more fuel to the
movement.
COHEN: Are there any specific plans for protests in the hours, days ahead?
MELISSA: I'm not sure.
COHEN: Okay. Thank you so much, Melissa. I appreciate your time on this. I really do. And for now, Becky, I'll send it back to you. Obviously, it's a
very, very much an evolving situation here at Columbia with, again, this first protest activity that we have seen since that action from police.
ASHER: Yeah, you've got people protesting, as the lady you spoke to there simply saying that they are, it has only strengthened her resolve to
maintain a presence in terms of protesting around the campus. You know, the NYPD is going to stay on campus at least until May 17th. Gabe Cohen, live
for us there. Thank you so much.
I want to bring in senior research scholar at Yale Law School and former president of Brandeis University, Professor Frederick Lawrence. Professor,
thank you so much for being with us. It's interesting when Columbia University resorts to clearing out the encampments by force, clearing out
Hamilton Hall by force, bringing in the NYPD. They win in one way, but they lose in a hundred other ways. Because now you have a situation whereby, I
mean, I'm sure you had the interview there with our Gabe Cohen speaking to one of the students who was protesting outside.
So, you have a situation where a lot of students simply feel that Columbia is no longer this sort of open forum for freedom of expression. There's no
longer trust between students and Dr. Shafik, the president of Columbia University. And also there is this hostile, animus relationship that
continues to grow between students and university administrators. So, how does the university heal from this, do you think?
FREDERICK M. LAWRENCE, FORMER BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT: This is what happens when you back students into a corner and when you have this kind of
a we-they relationship. If you look at how other campuses have responded, there are other ways of dealing with this situation. Under any
circumstances, it's going to be a tense situation.
It's going to be a heated situation because the issues are so fraught and because there's so much passion on so many sides of this issue. But you
look, for example, at the deal that was just struck between the administration and protesters at Brown University. The protesters and the
administration at Northwestern University.
In both cases, you have agreements that have been set out that seem, at least for now, to be working in a way that allows the protesters to be
heard, but at the same time maintains the school's very legitimate interest in safety and security of all students, and the operation of the
organization.
The University of Chicago's president just put out a statement of rules of engagement for protesting. The president of Williams College did something
similar a day or so ago. So, there are other ways of doing this. I think the situation at Columbia now is really so hot to the touch that the
administration is going to have to look for ways to cool this down. And that is going to be a very difficult thing to do at a time when trust is so
lacking.
GOLODRYGA: Professor, you just mentioned the deal reached with Brown University and students to clear the encampment. And in return, the
university board would vote on divestment from Israel. In October, the BDS movement, as you know, has existed long before October 7th.
And you actually wrote an op-ed about it and how you addressed it at your time at Brandeis. You wrote this op-ed in "The Times of Israel" in 2016.
And you talked about what you did on campus, something you termed B-View, that helped restore how campus life and students and activists responded to
the BDS movement.
And to quote you, "The support of the BDS movement and anti-Israel sentiment on university campuses would decrease if more schools would
emulate the B-View model." Did that model include meeting demands made by students who are breaking campus rules and violating campus laws and
enforcement? Because it felt like, with at least Brown University, there the university itself was being backed up into a corner, no?
LAWRENCE: I'm happy to say that in my time there were not violations of rules. We were able to get ahead of the story and ahead of the situation. I
always believed in working on these things proactively. And I think on those campuses where these situations have been less tense, if you look
closely, you will see that the real work began months and months ago, probably long before October 7th, so that you have connections between the
administration and various student groups.
[12:45:00]
And you have trust built between the administration and the student groups. As soon as you hear either side referring to the other side as they, you
know you're probably about to reach a bad outcome. There's only one constituency at the university. It's the university. It involves the
administration, faculty, students, staff. It's all one entity.
And, of course, there are going to be differences of opinion and they're going to be deeply held. But there has to be a feeling that we can work
together. That's what made B-View work. It was a way of people with very different views on the Israel-Palestine conflict all coming together in a
context of trust and knowing that they were going to be heard. Being heard is not the same thing as getting your way. Not everybody can get their own
way all the time, but everybody is entitled to be heard.
ASHER: All right, Professor Frederick Lawrence, we have to leave it there. Sadly, we are out of time, but thank you so much for being with us.
GOLODRYGA: We'll have you back. Thank you.
ASHER: We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Floods and landslides across Kenya have now claimed more than 180 lives. Horrible story. Rescue operations are ongoing, including for
tourists trapped by the floodwaters.
ASHER: In the last 24 hours alone, at least 10 people have died. Kenyan President William Ruto is calling on people living in flood-prone areas to
relocate within the next two days. CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam has a look at the forecast for the region.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, that's right, Zain and Bianna. The images coming out of Kenya are absolutely terrible. We're seeing
communities being impacted by the flooding that has been ongoing for several days now. In fact, this video just released from the Kenyan Red
Cross, as they said that they were doing rescues around 14 different tourist encampments near the Masimari region of southwestern Kenya.
Of course, it's a popular game park area. And these tourists have been surrounded by floodwaters as the Terek River has overflooded its banks.
Now, just to give you a perspective of how much rain has fallen, in Nairobi alone, we've received over a half year's worth of rain just in the month of
April alone. That is incredible. Yes, this is the rainy season, but we don't typically see this much rain in such a short period of time. We
should start to see the dry weather settle back in as we head into the next couple of months.
[12:50:00]
But all in all, all of Kenya has been widely above average rainfall for the month of April, and you can see why. Look at the precipitation across this
region. All that cloudy, stormy weather, that's known as the intertropical convergence zone. This is an area of colliding winds that causes the uplift
necessarily to create showers and storms, and that shifts north and south depending on the seasons.
We're in the month of May now, and so the intertropical convergence zone has just moved through the equatorial regions, including Kenya, producing
the rainy season. It'll lift northward, we dry out, and then the process reverses itself as we head into June, July, and August. More rain to come.
In fact, it could start to pick up in intensity through the course of the weekend, so we're going to be on the lookout for additional flooding,
especially across Nairobi and portions to the west of this region. Zain, Bianna, back to you.
ASHER: All right, Derek, thanks so much for that report. We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, let's turn now to a true made-for-Hollywood moment. A tearful pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend on a plane bound
for Poland.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, it's a story we all needed right now. CNN's Jeanne Moos shows us the couple's big moment, which they shared with a plane full of
passengers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is your captain speaking to the woman he loves. Prepare for turbulence, the emotional kind. LOT Polish Airlines
pilot, Konrad Hans, was referring to his flight attendant girlfriend, Paula. A year and a half ago, met her on a flight to Krakow, Poland. So, on
a similar flight to Krakow, the pilot, with eyes brimming, let fly the question. In this regard, I have a request for you, darling. Would you
marry me? It had all the trappings of a rom-com.
UNKNOWN: Will you marry me?
UNKNOWN: Yes, yes, yes, she will marry you!
MOOS: And yes, the flight attendant will marry the pilot.
UNKNOWN: I don't know what to say. I don't even know what to say.
[12:55:00]
MOOS: In the golden age of flying, flight attendants once parted the waters.
UNKNOWN: I should have been a pilot.
MOOS: LOT Polish Airlines posted the video on Facebook. Commenters posted romantic GIFs. Love is in the air. Although the plane was actually on the
ground the entire proposal. But these two were walking on clouds, with or without the airplane.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: See, that was so Hollywood, especially the bit where she comes running down the aisle at the end.
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
ASHER: So, we almost teared up. We literally almost cried.
GOLODRYGA: That was so worth the wait for at the end of the show, too. The only thing is, I'm assuming the plane was on autopilot. The co-pilot was
also watching. It looked like it was pretty smooth in the air.
ASHER: You have to be very confident that your girlfriend is going to say yes. But you have to be brave enough to pop the question in front of
absolutely everyone like that.
GOLODRYGA: So cute together, too.
ASHER: So, so sweet. That was the perfect way to end the show.
GOLODRYGA: Nothing else to say.
ASHER: That does it for this hour of "One World". Thank you so much for watching. I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: I'm Bianna Golodryga. Amanpour is up next.
END
