The alleged Democratic candidatewho was holding a joint rally with her new running mate Tim Walz in Arizona, was forced to block the path of protesters chanting “Free, Free Palestine,” pausing halfway and saying that “respecting the voice” of dissenting opinions is part of the “fight for democracy.”
“Wait a second, let me just say this about what I think I’m hearing over there,” Harris said.
As the reception grew louder, Kamala Harris said, “I have made it clear: Now is the time to negotiate a ceasefire and complete the hostage deal.”
The vice president, now vying to become the 47th president of the United States, said she and Biden are “working around the clock every day” to reach an agreement and bring home the hostages still trapped in Gaza.
This is not the first time the vice president has had to stop and speak to protesters in the middle of a rally. In a reaction not dissimilar to Friday’s, Kamala Harris said on Wednesday, as a group of about eight women interrupted the event with pro-Palestinian messages, “because we believe in democracy, every voice matters, but I’m speaking now.”
Harris then added: “If you want Donald Trump to win, say so. Otherwise, I’ll do the talking.” The Gaza conflict has proven to be a key campaign issue, with progressive and young voters, as well as the Arab-American and Muslim communities, particularly voting for it.
Kamala Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, met briefly with the Uncommitted National Movement on Wednesday in an effort to attract voters dissatisfied with President Joe Biden’s handling of the Gaza conflict. Layla Elabed and Abbas Alawieh, the group’s co-founders, expressed concerns to Harris and Walz about U.S. arms sales to Israel and the plight of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, according to a statement from the group reported by CNN.
“The Vice President was receptive. I thanked her for the attention her staff is giving to our request for a meeting on the arms embargo. She thanked me for my presence and my work,” Alawieh, an “unaffiliated” delegate to the Democratic National Convention, was quoted as saying in the report.
Meanwhile, Phil Gordon, Kamala Harris’ national security adviser, said on X: “VP has made it clear: she will always ensure that Israel has the ability to defend itself against Iran and the Iranian-backed terrorist groups.”
“It does not support an arms embargo against Israel. It will continue to work to protect the civilian population in Gaza and to uphold international humanitarian law.”
