At a Harris-Walz 2024 campaign rally in Glendale, Arizona, Vice President Kamala Harris paused her speech to address anti-Israel hecklers in the crowd.
The demonstrators, chanting “Free, free Palestine,” interrupted Harris as she spoke to an estimated 15,000 supporters in the key battleground state.
Arizona, with its pivotal electoral votes, is central to Harris’s strategy to defeat her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.
In response to the protesters, Harris paused her prepared remarks and directly addressed the crowd, saying:
“Hold on a second, hold on. We’re all in here together…because we love our country. We’re here to fight for our democracy, which includes respecting the voices that I think we are hearing from.”
Harris took the opportunity to address the protesters’ concerns, telling the protesters the Biden administration is committed to securing a ceasefire deal and bringing hostages home.
“Now is the time to get a ceasefire deal and get the hostage deal done. Now is the time and the president and I are working around the clock every day to get that ceasefire deal done and bring the hostages home,” she said.
She then concluded her response to the protesters with these words:
“I respect your voices, but we are here now to talk about this race in 2024.”
This incident marks the second time in recent days that Harris has faced interruptions from pro-Palestinian protesters.
Last Wednesday, during a rally in Michigan, she was heckled with chants of “Kamala, Kamala you can’t hide, we won’t vote for genocide.”
Harris’s response in Michigan was notably more forceful, telling the protesters:
“If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.”
While the Michigan exchange went viral, it also drew criticism from some quarters, with detractors suggesting that Harris failed to adequately address the protesters’ concerns about the ceasefire and appeared dismissive of their voices.
As the 2024 election approaches, Harris continues to navigate complex issues both on the campaign trail and in her role as Vice President, balancing the demands of governance with the intense scrutiny of a national election.
