Anti-Israel protesters crash White House correspondents dinner in Washington
Anti-Israel protesters gathered outside the venue where President Joe Biden was slated to deliver a speech at the annual White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner on Saturday night. The group, calling for an end to civilian casualties in Gaza, hung a giant Palestinian flag over the side of the venue and shouted at Biden's motorcade and guests heading inside. At one point, demonstrators even stormed the red carpet with a large sign that read, "Biden's Legacy is Genocide."
Why does this story matter?
The rally outside the WHCA dinner comes as protests have broken out on college campuses across the US over the harrowing number of Palestinian deaths. The conflict in Gaza began after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking over 200 people hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the nearly seven-month war has topped 34,000, with more than 76,000 wounded, per the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Mob seen chanting 'f-k Joe Biden'
Footage from the scene shows a mob lining the dinner's entranceway and yelling in the faces of well-groomed celebs as they enter. Caitlyn Jenner was among the attendees accosted by protesters, a photo by CNN showed. As Biden's convoy passed by on its way to the hotel, some demonstrators yelled "Stop the genocide in Gaza" while holding a large banner that read "The people demand to stop arming Israel." They were also seen chanting "f**k Joe Biden."
Palestinian flag deployed from top floor of Washington hotel
Palestinian journalists had urged a boycott of the WHCA dinner
Earlier this month, a group of journalists from Gaza issued an open letter on Medium, urging a boycott of the WHCA dinner. "We urgently appeal to you, our colleagues globally, with a demand for immediate and unwavering action against the Biden administration's ongoing complicity in the systematic slaughter and persecution of journalists in Gaza," it read. They called for a public boycott as a show of unity with their fellow journalists and Palestinians affected by US's continued support of Israel.
