Pro-Palestinian activists interrupted US President Joe Biden’s campaign speech at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina on Monday, Russian TV network RT reported.
Emanuel AME is a historically black church, and the site of a mass-shooting in which a pastor and eight parishioners were killed in a racially motivated attack in 2015, when Biden was vice president. As one of the main themes of Biden’s 2024 campaign, Democrats have chosen to accuse former US President Donald Trump of being a racist and a danger to democracy.
As Biden spoke, however, a group of protesters rose up from one of the back pews and accused him of not caring for Palestinian lives in Gaza. They chanted “Ceasefire now!” as security escorted them away. After about a minute, Democrats attending the campaign event started a chant of “Four more years!” to drown them out.
When the noise subsided, Biden said he had been “quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza.”
Israel launched a major air and ground offensive against the Palestinian enclave after the October 7 incursion by Hamas militants, which was retaliation to decades long occupational crimes.
According to reports and Palestine health ministry, over 23,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed so far.
The US has provided Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with full diplomatic support, as well as money and weapons, while publicly urging restraint. Israel has rejected calls for a truce with Hamas, vowing to “eradicate” the group.
Israeli officials have further argued that a comprehensive ceasefire would only help Hamas recuperate and stage further attacks.
The White House policy has caused significant backlash among Muslim Americans. Pro-Palestinian activists protested on Monday outside the church as well, the RT report added.
