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Vice President Kamala Harris had a confrontational moment with Gaza war protesters at her campaign rally, with some division on social media over her response.
On Wednesday (August 7), Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at a campaign rally held in Detroit, Michigan. As she spoke before the crowd of 15,000 gathered in a hangar at Detroit Metro Airport, a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters began shouting to interrupt her. “Kamala, Kamala, you can’t hide,” they chanted, “We won’t vote for genocide.” Harris looked to move on while acknowledging the group, saying: “I’m here because we believe in democracy. Everyone’s voice matters, but I am speaking now.” The crowd cheered, and she began to talk about the threat of Donald Trump being re-elected when the protesters interrupted again. The vice president raised her hands up at that point. “You know what,” she said firmly, “If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.” She stared directly at the protesters as the audience cheered louder, chanting “We’re not going back”. The protesters were then escorted out of the venue.
The moment was a contrast to a meeting that Harris and her presidential running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had with Uncommitted National Movement founders Abbas Alawieh and Layla Elabed (the sister of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib) before the rally. The Arab-American group mobilized to withhold 100,000 votes from President Joe Biden in the Michigan primary over his stance backing Israel in its 10-month war against Hamas in Gaza. Alawieh said that he “felt an openness from V.P. Harris, as well as a listening ear from Governor Walz”.In a statement, Harris’ campaign team “reaffirmed that her campaign will continue to engage with those communities.”
The confrontation at the rally left some on social media divided. Some felt Harris’ response was too flippant. Columnist Wajahat Ali wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that her team needed to prep her to have a better response: “You can’t mock it away. Just have a line ready that at least acknowledges you hear them.” Others noted how the protesters seemed more willing to attack Democrats but not Donald Trump and other Republicans. One X user by the name of Colorfullstory wrote: “Explain it to me like I’m 5…Why are they protesting the person calling for a ceasefire but not the person saying Israel should finish the job?”
Take a look at the responses to the campaign rally moment below.
1. Karen Attiah
2. Qasim Rashid
3. Yair Rosenberg
5. Dr. T. Anansi Wilson
6. Queen Zenobia
7. DMC0281
8. Ernest Owens
9. Roland Martin
