BEIJING: United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that campus protests sweeping the United States over the Middle East were part of democracy, but criticised the "silence" over the Palestinian group Hamas.

Police have carried out large-scale arrests in universities across the US, at times using chemical irritants and tasers to disperse protests over Israel's war with Hamas.

Speaking in Beijing following a day of meetings with high-ranking officials, Blinken said such protests were a "hallmark of our democracy".

"Our citizens make known their views, their concerns, their anger, at any given time," Blinken said in China, which tightly controls protests.

"I think that reflects the strength of the country," he said.

But he also said that protesters had not condemned Hamas, which carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct 7.

"As I've also said before, this could be over tomorrow, it could have been over yesterday, it could have been over months ago, if Hamas has put down its weapons, stopped hiding behind civilians, released the hostages," he said.

"But, of course, it has chosen not to do that and it is notable there is silence about Hamas, it's as if it wasn't even part of the story," he added.

 - AFP