The pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests over the fighting in Gaza that have swept across American college campuses reached New Hampshire this week.

More than 100 arrests were made at the campuses of Dartmouth College in Hanover and the University of New Hampshire in Durham.

Gov. Chris Sununu was firm that he believes the protests are “all based in antisemitism,” but emphasized that free speech and protesting peacefully are important principles.

“The students weren’t arrested because of what they were saying or what they believed. That’s the First Amendment. That’s a peaceful protest process. And I think the universities have done a very good job saying that’s always going to be allowed here,” Sununu said. “Now, when you violate school policy, and that was a clear violation when they started the encampments or when you break the law or whatever it might be, yes, there’s accountability there.”

The protests across the country, some of which have turned violent, have dominated national news coverage the past week, and have become a political hot potato particularly for Democrats, who are trying to balance support for Israel with concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster told the Monitor that she was “carefully” monitoring the situation at Dartmouth College.

“Like many Americans, I was shocked by the vile attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians last October 7th. While I believe that Israel has the right to self-defense, I also have grave concerns about how Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government has prosecuted the war in Gaza, resulting in an unprecedented number of Palestinian civilian casualties,” Kuster said.

Kuster, the longtime Democratic representative in New Hampshire’s Second Congressional District who’s retiring at the end of the year, noted that “as a defender of the U.S. Constitution, I support students’ rights to freedom of speech and peaceful protest. However, these rights are not absolute, and [Dartmouth] College has rules designed to protect the rights of all students to access their education fairly, without bias or discrimination.”

“Freedom of speech and the right to peaceful assembly are the bedrock values of our country,” she said. “But hate speech and antisemitism are not. No person should feel unsafe or be targeted because of their religious beliefs.”

The offices of Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan gave similar statements to the Monitor.

“While everyone has the right to peacefully protest, there is absolutely no place for antisemitism and threats of violence, which violate the fundamental norms and values that any educational institution seeks to espouse,” a spokesperson for Hassan said.

“The safety of students must always be a priority and laws cannot be broken,” said Shaheen spokesperson Rachel Huxley-Cohen. “Hateful rhetoric, including anti-Semitic statements and threats, as well as violence, is unacceptable — on a college campus or anywhere in our country.”

State Senate president, ex-congressman retiring

Jeb Bradley’s more than three-decade journey in politics and public service will soon be coming to a close.

The longtime state lawmaker and current state Sente president, who also served four years in the nation’s capital representing New Hampshire in Congress, says he won’t be seeking re-election in November and will retire from politics when his current term in office ends later this year.

“There are times that come to a crossroads, and I’m at one of those times, and I’m not going to seek re-election. It’s a bit bittersweet because I’ve had the opportunity to serve across the wall, to serve in our nation’s capitol, and to serve in this absolutely beautiful room,” Joseph Edmund “Jeb” Bradley III announced on Thursday, during the state Senate’s late session.

He praised the cordiality that still thrives between Republicans and Democrats in the chamber, which is a rarity in today’s polarized political climate.

 “I can tell you that there’s no nicer place to do the people’s business than right here in this room,” Bradley said.

The Wolfeboro Republican served a dozen years in the state House of Representatives (1990-2002) before seeking and winning election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002. He won re-election in 2004 but was defeated by former U.S. Rep. Carol Shea Porter during the blue-wave election in 2006. Bradley thought his defeat might mean the end of his political career.

“I thought I was done and was moving on,” Bradley recollected.

“Then Gov. John H. Sununu picked up the phone. He actually called my mother before he called me, and so he doubled-teamed me. And he said, ‘You’re running,’” Bradley said as he recalled his bid for office in a state Senate special election in 2009.

Bradley served as Senate Majority Leader from 2010 to 2018 and again from 2020 to 2022 when the GOP regained the majority in the chamber. He became Senate president at the end of 2022, succeeding his ally and friend Chuck Morse, who didn’t seek re-election to his state office as he unsuccessfully bid for the U.S. Senate.

In his comments to his colleagues, Bradley urged that they never alter their status as “glorified volunteers with a fancy, schmancy license plate” and praised their ability to come together despite their differences.

“We don’t always agree, and sometimes do fight like cats and dogs, and cats and dogs always fight. But we also come together more than people know and do the people’s business,” Bradley said. “It’s been an honor to be up at this podium. It’s been an honor to sit down there, it’s been an honor to call all of you my friends.”

Sununu, who’s also not seeking re-election this November, praised Bradely, saying in a statement that the lawmaker was “always engaged, always involved.”

“Senator Bradley has been there time and time again to find consensus, get the job done, and deliver results for Granite State families,” Sununu said. “We wish him the best!”

The top Democrat in the chamber, Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy, also complimented Bradley.

“I have always known Senator Bradley to sincerely dedicate himself to finding bipartisan solutions, especially on the most challenging issues,” Soucy said in a statement. “You can always count on Senator Bradley to work to find a ‘Bradley Special,’ and to challenge us all to do the same.”

Greg Moore, the longtime New Hampshire and regional director for influential conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity and a former state legislative staffer, said that Bradley “was the classic ‘moderate Republican’ who only wanted to talk about fiscal issues when he was in Congress. Now he’s a champion of Education Freedom Accounts. The law that passed was basically his bill.”

Bradley will remain in office through the end of the year. Speaking with reporters following his announcement, he was asked if he would be weighing in on upcoming ballot box showdowns.

“I think Chuck Morse would make a great governor,” Bradley answered, as he pointed to his predecessor as Senate president, who’s know facing off against former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte for the 2024 GOP gubernatorial nomination.

Hours later, Bradley made an appearance at a Morse fundraiser in Atkinson.