Kamala Harris hits back at protesters who interrupted Chicago book event
Former Vice President Kamala Harris has responded sharply to protesters attempting to disrupt her ongoing book tour.
During an event to promote her memoir, 107 Days, in Chicago on Saturday, at least one protestor began shouting and accusing Harris of complicity in Israel’s assaults on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
The crowd booed heavily and, after a pause, Harris asked: “Are you the same person that was telling people not to vote?”
Newsweek has contacted the former vice president’s representatives via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Events promoting Harris’ new book—which chronicles her 107-day presidential campaign following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race—have frequently been interrupted by protesters criticizing the former vice president for her perceived inaction on Palestine and the Biden administration’s refusal to impose an arms embargo on Israel in response to its attacks on Gaza.
Such protests also dogged her run for the Oval Office, as Harris referenced on Saturday, with certain pro-Palestinian advocacy groups saying they would be unable to endorse her over her continued support for Israel despite the humanitarian crisis it was causing in the Strip.
What To Know
Footage taken by one of the protesters and posted by the grassroots group U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), showed them shouting at Harris and referring to her as “killer Kamala.”
“You are a killer, Kamala. You support genocide,” the protestor shouted, before being removed by security.
During the same event in Chicago, following Harris’ comments on the importance of a free and independent press, another protestor stood up to yell: “What about the press you let die in Gaza, Kamala?”
“You sent $20 billion to fund the genocide,” they continued, apparently referencing the Biden administration’s approval of an arms sale in August 2024, which included $20-billion-worth of fighter jets, mortar shells and other materiel.
“Kamala Harris, your legacy is genocide,” the protestor shouted while being escorted out by security.
In response, Harris later said: “If you want to talk about legacy, let’s talk about the legacy of mass deportation, of people not voting, and Donald Trump.”
Many of Harris’s recent tour stops have been met with similar disruptions. Protesters interrupted an event in D.C. a day earlier, with Harris urging them to “go to the White House” and confront President Donald Trump directly about Israel’s actions.
During another recent event at which her former running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, was speaking, a member of USPCN interrupted to chant: “Tim Walz, you can’t hide, you invest in genocide.”
In a post to X, USPCN wrote that Walz, like Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs, “has continuously ignored his constituents who have demanded Minnesota divest from Israel Bonds”—debt securities issued by the State of Israel—as well as “corporations profiting off the genocide in Gaza.”
What People Are Saying
Kamala Harris, during an event in Washington, D.C. on Friday night, said: “You know what? I am not president of the United States. You wanna go to the White House and talk to him, then go on and do that.”
U.S. Palestinian Community Network, alongside footage of the Chicago event posted to X, wrote: “Kamala oversaw the largest weapons sale to Israel in history and refused to call for an arms embargo. She claims to be a feminist, yet refuses to take accountability for her role in mass murdering Palestinians in Gaza.”
What Happens Next
Harris’ book tour will continue until mid-November, with stops scheduled in North Carolina, California, Washington, Tennessee, as well as events in Canada and London.
