A person protesting the Biden administration’s response to the war between Israel and Hamas was removed from a Senate Foreign Relations hearing on Tuesday after interrupting Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s testimony.
The protester, a young woman wearing a T-shirt that said “invest in life,” held two signs that said “war criminal,” referring to Blinken. She was quickly subdued by Capitol Police as she approached Blinken and was got up from his feet and removed from the hearing room.
Protesters have become increasingly common at hearings with Blinken as the secretary has become the face of the Biden administration’s response to the Israel-Hamas war.
A growing number of mostly progressive Democrats have criticized Biden for his ardent support for Israel in the conflict despite mass civilian casualties and a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Blinken and Biden have consistently warned Israel to limit civilian casualties and increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, though the words have been criticized as insufficient. Biden said earlier this month that he would halt military aid shipments to Israel if its military invaded Rafah, the strongest rebuke yet of the country’s leadership.
That move was criticized by a bipartisan group of Israel’s closest allies in Congress, who said even the threat against Israel was going too far.
Protesters have repeatedly interrupted Blinken and other Biden administration officials during similar Senate hearings. Last month, activists painted their hands red to symbolize blood in protest as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gave testimony. In October, a series of protesters interrupted Blinken one at a time, taking minutes away from a hearing.
The protests raise concerns for Biden’s campaign, amid fears that younger, more progressive voters dissatisfied with the president’s policy on the Israel-Hamas war could be left out of the November elections.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
