Pro-Palestinian Protesters Interrupt Biden Mid-Speech, Making Valid Points | US News
US President Joe Biden acknowledged that pro-Palestinian protesters who disrupted his speech on Tuesday “have a point”.
Two demonstrators were removed from an event in Raleigh, North Carolina after they interrupted the president during a speech on healthcare, shouting: “What about the healthcare in Gaza?”
“Everybody deserves healthcare,” Mr Biden said, as the protesters voiced concerns about hospitals being bombed in Gaza and accused him of being “complicit in genocide”.
The president urged the audience to “be patient with them” and later stated, “They have a point,” after the protesters were escorted out.
“We need to get a lot more care into Gaza,” he declared.
The audience then cheered and gave the president a standing ovation.
Mr Biden has faced several anti-war protests since Israel launched their military campaign after the 7 October attack.
The latest protest comes amid tense US relations with Israel, with Mr Biden pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow more aid into Gaza.
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The US has also increased criticism of the Israeli government’s actions in the war, and warned of a potential ground invasion of Rafah – the southern Gaza city where many Palestinians have taken refuge from Israel’s military campaign.
Tuesday’s protest occurred just one day after the US abstained from a vote at the UN Security Council, allowing a resolution for a ceasefire until the end of Ramadan to pass.
Mr Biden’s speech on Tuesday focused on his administration’s efforts to uphold and expand healthcare on the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act being signed into law.