Incumbent US President Joe Biden has had to modify his entire campaign strategy in order to avoid frequent disruptions of campaign events by pro-Palestinian protesters. Lawmakers, from famous progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to ultra-conservative Andrew Ogles (who declared “kill them all” to a protester’s question about the murder of Palestinian children) have been equally hounded by the Palestine solidarity movement for not calling for an end to Israeli genocide in Gaza.
The movement for Palestine is holding US politicians accountable in ways only seen in the mass anti-war movements of the past. For the first time in decades, lawmakers must take a firm stance against stated US foreign policy goals, lest face the wrath of their most steadfast constituents.
Palestine solidarity protesters completely shut down the victory of California politician Adam Schiff, who won the state’s Democratic Party nomination for Senator. Schiff was not able to continue his speech as activists yelled out “Let Gaza Live!” and “Ceasefire now!”
BREAKING: Jews for Ceasefire, including @IfNotNowLA & @JVP_LA, and allies just completely shut down Adam Schiff's Super Tuesday speech. He gave up on his prepared remarks and left the stage.
As Jews, we cannot be silent as the people of Gaza are slaughtered. Let Gaza Live! pic.twitter.com/niEhxphqTv
— IfNotNow🔥✡️ (@IfNotNowOrg) March 6, 2024
In the California Democratic primary, Schiff has been the top defender of Israel out of all the candidates who ran for Senate. He has refused to call for even a temporary ceasefire, saying that “the obstacle to getting that temporary ceasefire is Hamas.”
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was called out by several demonstrators for her support of Israel at an event in Brooklyn on March 5. “How can you say that you represent New Yorkers when 70% of this country demands a ceasefire in Gaza?” shouted a protester.
“Senator Gillibrand, you received 366,000 dollars from pro-Israel lobbies in this past election cycle. Why are you allowing your interests to be bought by foreign governments?” another protester asked. Gillibrand eventually walked off stage due to the disruption, saying “There is nothing respectful about what you are doing.”
🚨🇵🇸Pro-Palestine activists SHUT DOWN Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand at a Brooklyn town hall meeting, calling her out for her support of Israel!
Gillibrand fled the town hall after she was disrupted almost a dozen times by her constituents! pic.twitter.com/HvZkQbud2y
— Party for Socialism and Liberation (@pslnational) March 6, 2024
At a Brooklyn movie theater, self-styled progressive politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was called out by a constituent for refusing to call Israel’s war on Gaza a genocide. Ocasio-Cortez repeatedly accuses the activists of lying, insisting that she has indeed “already said it was [a genocide].” This is not true, as less than a month ago, Ocasio-Cortez was asked on television if she agreed “with that word, genocide” to describe what is happening in Palestine, she replied, “I believe that they are still determining it.”
#NYC "You refuse to call it a genocide" – handful of protesters chase after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at a Brooklyn movie theater, "You gonna cut it and take it out of context, I already said that it was" – AOC responded to protesters claims on refusing word "Genocide" , "This is… pic.twitter.com/mipmA5EHu9
— FreedomNews.Tv FNTV (@FreedomNTV) March 5, 2024
Beyond not calling Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide, Ocasio-Cortez came under fire by the Palestine solidarity movement in 2021 for voting “present” (a neutral vote) rather than “no” on additional US funding for the Iron Dome. And on October 16, 2023, shortly after the launch of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation by the Palestinian resistance, Ocasio-Cortez said on CNN that she had an “openness” to voting yes on Iron Dome funding if presented with the option again.
Support for Israel could cost Biden the election
Meanwhile, on March 5, 15 US states and territories held their presidential primaries to decide the nominee of the Democratic Party. And although the Democratic Party machine is running Biden as their sole candidate, constituents continue to cast “uncommitted” protest votes against Biden.
In North Carolina, a strategic state for winning the presidential election which will be held in November, 12.7% of voters voted “no preference”, as opposed to for Biden, in their Democratic primary. In Minnesota, the “uncommitted” option received 18.7% of the vote. In US-occupied American Samoa, Biden lost the primary entirely to businessman Jason Palmer, who received 56% of the vote.
The movement to submit protest votes against Biden was launched after over 100,000 Michigan voters voted “uncommitted” in their Democratic primary, including US Representative Rashida Tlaib and Dearborn, Michigan mayor Abdullah Hammoud.
