SNL mocks Columbia protest as cast member playing blue collar dad warns ... trends now
A Saturday Night Live skit took aim at the pro-Palestine protests that have taken over Columbia University and college campuses across the nation.
Keenan Thompson played a father of a Columbia student, who sat down with two other 'parents', played by Mikey Day and Heidi Gardner, and cast member Michael Longfellow on the show's NY1 'Community Affairs' segment.
During the discussion, each parent agreed that they supported the movement, but Thompson, who played Alphonse Roberts, said that he would not be okay if his daughter joined the protests.
'Alexis Vanessa Roberts better have her butt in class. Let me find out she in one of them da** tents instead of the dorm room that I pay for,' Thompson said.
Mikey Day's character, Doug Hoving, then questioned Thompson and said: 'Wait, I though you were in favor of the student protests?'
SNL's Keenan Thompson, who played Alphonse Roberts, a father of a Columbia University student, voiced his opinions about the pro-Palestine protests that took over the campus in recent weeks
The skit comes after weeks of unrest at the Ivy League, which began with the establishment of the encampment on April 17. (pictured: demonstrators at Columbia University on Tuesday afternoon)
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'Brother man, I am supportive of y'all's kids protesting, not my kids. My kids know better, shoot, Alexis Vanessa ain't crazy,' Thompson responded.
The skit comes after weeks of unrest at the Ivy League, which began with the establishment of the encampment on April 17.
Protesters set up tents after the school's president, Minouche Shafik was grilled before Congress about anti-Semitism on campus.
After protests broke out at Columbia, they soon made their way around the country at other schools including Emory, the University of Texas, Harvard, NYU, USC, UC Berkeley and Brown.
As the skit continued, the cast members were asked how they felt about police presence on campus.
While Gardner's character, Sarah Himes, said that she was 'very concerned' about her daughter being arrested, Thompson's character said 'I ain't worried about 5-0.'
'That is not my business. My business is Alexis Vanessa Robert,' he said.
He proceeded to emphasize the costly tuition prices at Columbia.
'She not talking about no "free this, free that," 'cause I'll tell you what ain't free, Columbia.'
He asked: 'Do y'all know that they got the nerve to want $68,000 a year?'
Day then replied to Thompson and said: 'Look, we totally respect their right to protest, but I mean, we're also making sacrifices for our kids.'
While Gardner's character, Sarah Himes, said that she was 'very concerned' about her daughter being arrested, Thompson's character said 'I ain't worried about 5-0'
Student protestors set up tents on the campuses lawn and created an encampment in protest of the Israel-Hamas war
Police use a vehicle named 'the bear' to enter Hamilton Hall from a public street, which was occupied by protesters, as other officers enter the campus of Columbia University
