Speaker Johnson believes it is the right time to deploy the National Guard during protests.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., informed reporters on Wednesday that the National Guard troops are being considered to maintain order amidst ongoing pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses.

“If this unrest is not controlled swiftly and if these acts of intimidation are not halted, there may come a time when the National Guard needs to intervene,” Johnson said during a press conference, as reported by The Hill. “We need to restore order on these campuses. We cannot tolerate these actions nationwide. We are capable of better.”

Recent protests at Columbia University have escalated, resulting in over 100 arrests after a demonstration at Columbia’s South Lawn in Morningside Heights. The protesters are calling for universities to disinvest from companies they accuse of benefiting from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and occupation in Palestine, and are demanding an end to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

In response, Columbia President Minouche Shafik canceled in-person classes on Monday, shifting to remote learning. In a statement, she explained that this decision was made “to reduce tension and allow for careful consideration of next steps.”

Johnson has urged Shafik to step down from her position if she cannot restore order on the campus.

“We had a brief meeting with the president and her senior staff just before coming out here. We urged her to take immediate action to resolve this situation. It appears that they have not taken the necessary steps to restore order on the campus,” Johnson told reporters.