A group of pro-Palestine protesters repeatedly disrupted Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s testimony before a House of Representatives panel on the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. As Blinken began his remarks on Wednesday, one protester shouted, “Bloody Blinken” and “Butcher of Gaza.”
A second protester, holding a sign that read “Stop Bombing Kids,” yelled, “Stop killing kids in Gaza” and “I don’t know how you can sleep at night when you’re killing so many kids in tents.” The protester was arrested and removed from the chamber, but Blinken continued his testimony amid the disruptions.
This was not the first time Blinken faced interruptions from pro-Palestine activists. In May, he was repeatedly interrupted during his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Earlier this year, activists also camped outside his home in Virginia for almost a week, employing tactics such as splashing fake blood on his car and leaving messages on his door, including one that read, “Complicit in genocide.”
Protesters have similarly targeted President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. In June, Biden was heckled by pro-Palestine protesters shouting, “You’re complicit in genocide,” during his speech at Everytown’s Gun Sense University in Washington, D.C. In October, while offering an apology for the U.S. government’s role in running abusive Native American boarding schools, Biden was interrupted by a protester who yelled, “How can you apologise for a genocide while committing a genocide in Palestine?”
Vice President Harris also faced disruption during a campaign event in Michigan, where protesters shouted, “Israel bombs, Kamala pays, how many kids will you kill today?”
The U.S. is Israel’s primary supporter, providing nearly 70 percent of its weapons and significant diplomatic backing. Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, having received over $310 billion in military and economic assistance.
There have been reports of Israel using U.S.-made weapons in violations of Palestinian rights. The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 44,800 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and has caused a severe shortage of basic necessities, including food, water, electricity, and medicine. The conflict has also displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last month for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense chief Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
SOURCE: TRTWorld and agencies
