Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally in Detroit on Wednesday was interrupted by anti-Israel protesters.
Videos of the exchange in Michigan have been widely circulated online. AF Post posted side-by-side videos to Twitter, showing both a crowd view of the protesters and Harris’ response, writing, “Kamala Harris snaps on pro-Palestine protesters at Detroit rally, has them escorted from the building.”
Kamala Harris snaps on pro-Palestine protestors at Detroit rally, has them escorted from the building.
Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/qPMSYqTuJZ
— AF Post (@AFpost) August 8, 2024
Anti-Israel protests have been a frequent occurrence at political rallies. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley’s final campaign stop in Fort Worth’s stockyards was repeatedly interrupted earlier this year, The Dallas Express reported.
“I’m here because we believe in democracy. Everyone’s voice matters,” Harris said in response to the disruption. “But I am speaking now. I am speaking now.”
She then said, “You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.”
Either by coincidence or direct homage, her line was reminiscent of her “Mr. Vice President, I am speaking” line, which she used to stifle interruptions by then-Vice President Mike Pence during the 2020 vice-presidential debates.
Against the heckles, her supporters began chanting “Kamala” in a show of support for the Democrat nominee.
Harris had been interrupted by anti-Israel activists who shouted, “Kamala, Kamala, you can’t hide! We won’t vote for genocide.” The chant is a reference to the far-left political argument that Israel’s response to the attacks waged against the Jewish nation on October 7, 2023, constitutes genocide.
In a report by the University Network for Human Rights, professor Susan Akra commented, “Israel has committed genocidal acts, namely killing, seriously harming, and inflicting conditions of life calculated, and intended to, bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza.”
This view is hotly disputed by organizations such as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). AEI recently ran an op-ed titled “Israel Is Not Committing ‘Genocide’ in Gaza,” penned by the organization’s distinguished senior fellow, Danielle Pletka.
In the piece, she and co-author Sahar Soleimany argued, “‘Genocide’ has a definition in law. For Israel’s actions to meet the legal criteria of genocide, there must be evidence of more than just a high casualty count or the leveling of property.”
They then stated that the war in Gaza did not meet this standard and identified Hamas as the bad actor in the conflict:
“Per the United Nations, genocide requires an ‘intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.’ As statements by Israeli officials have made clear, their intentions in Gaza are limited to eliminating Hamas’s operational capacity and bringing home hostages. (Hamas, however, has openly declared its intent to wipe out Israel and the Jewish people. Just read their charter.)”
