A pro-Palestinian protester has interrupted US President Joe Biden’s campaign speech, demanding an immediate ceasefire and an end to the United States’ all-out support to Israel.
On Saturday, Biden was quickly interrupted shortly after he began his speech in Georgia’s capital city by a pro-Palestinian protester, shouting, “You are a dictator, genocide Joe” The protester continued, “Tens of thousands of Palestinians are dead, children are dying”
As Secret Service personnel began escorting the protester out of the crowd, pro-Biden rally-goers began chanting, “Four more years! Four more years!” showing support for his re-election in the 2024 US presidential race.
After the crowd settled down, Biden said he does not “resent [the protester's] passion.”
“There’s a lot of Palestinians who are being unfairly victimized,” he said.
Since October 7, Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip by air, land, and sea, killing nearly 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, trapped in the blockaded territory.
Biden has been facing mounting pressure to stop providing Israel with bombs, missiles, and ammunition since the regime launched its military offensive against Gaza.
Five months into the war in Gaza, the Biden administration has repeatedly bypassed Congress to greenlight an emergency weapons sale to Israel.
On Thursday, Biden’s State of the Union address sparked protests across the United States, with demonstrators gathering outside of the US Capitol building, calling on him to stop funding Israel's genocide in Gaza.
Protest organizers said people forced Biden to reroute and arrive late to give his speech at the Capitol.
Jay Saper, an organizer said that “the majority of Americans want a full, permanent, lasting ceasefire” in Gaza.
“It’s important for our elected officials to actually answer to the people, as opposed to answering to a [foreign] government that’s actively carrying out genocide by continuing to send and pledge money and weapons to them.”