Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, was temporarily escorted from the stage amid heckling from pro-Palestinian demonstrations during a panel discussion about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on American workers with Axios Wednesday morning.
Newsweek reached out to Hawley’s office for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Politicians from both sides of the aisle have faced protests from pro-Palestinian protesters during public appearances over the past few years, as the U.S. has remained a closer ally to Israel despite humanitarian concerns about its actions in Gaza.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas led an attack against Israel, killing 1,200 and abducting 251 people. Israel has said 50 hostages remain in Gaza and that only 21 of them are believed to still be alive. Israel has since launched an offensive on Gaza, killing more than 59,000 people, according to The Associated Press, citing Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Critics have raised concerns about the number of civilians killed or displaced, as well as conditions such as the threat of starvation in the Gaza Strip. Others, however, have said Israel has a right to respond to the October 7 attack and have blamed Hamas for putting these civilians in harm’s way.
What to Know
Hawley, who has been supportive of Israel, faced heckling during Axios’ News Shapers conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning with journalist Stef Kight. The interruption came during a discussion about AI. Hawley warned about a his concerns on “a huge loss of jobs for working people,” and that lawmakers need to “put people at the center of our technology policy.”
“If we don’t do that, I’m worried about what that’s going to mean for ordinary working Americans,” Hawley said.
Kight continued to ask if he feels like is “alone in that kind of approach,” when one protester began shouting at the senator.
“Josh Hawley cannot possibly care about people in this country because he is supporting a war of starvation,” the protester said.
Kight asked the protester to allow her to continue with the interview, noting that it was the first instance of a protester during Wednesday’s event. She then escorted Hawley from the stage, though Hawley asked, “aAre you sure?” when she got up.
Kight and Hawley quickly returned to the stage after about one minute. Kight asked attendees to “be respectful and allow us to continue our conversation.” Hawley quipped that it was “just another day in the Senate” before continuing on with the conversation.
The two protesters with the group Code Pink were removed from the event after the disruption, according to video footage that has circulated across social media.
What People Are Saying
Hawley wrote on X: “Hahahah – pro-Hamas CRAZIES tried to disrupt another event this morning. What a bunch of nutcases. I’m proud as ever to stand for America and our ally Israel.”
Code Pink, the group that led the protest, on X: “We shut down Josh Hawley because his career is built on suffering from Gaza to the U.S. As 2.2 million Palestinians face forced starvation, he doubles down on genocide. We won’t let him speak freely while children starve.”
What Happens Next
The conflict between Israel and Hamas continues as President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff prepares to head to the Middle East to try to broker a ceasefire deal.
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