Disruptive Protesters Gather Ahead Of White House Correspondents’ Dinner
The luxurious Washington Hilton hosted Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, drawing a crowd of disruptive pro-Palestine demonstrators to harass journalists and others showing up to the black-tie event.
Protesters have gathered on university campuses, busy highways and other strategic locations across the United States in recent months to spread their intimidating and antisemitic messages.
President Joe Biden has also been targeted by the anti-Israel extremists, some of whom attempted to block traffic along his route to deliver the State of the Union address earlier this year. While the president was subject to criticism ahead of the weekend event in D.C., many demonstrators took aim at reporters for supposedly ignoring the alleged atrocities being committed by Israelis in Gaza.
A number of demonstrators shouted “f— Joe Biden” ahead of his arrival and guests were required to navigate a labyrinth of protesters, many of whom were shouting vulgar slogans or even throwing fake blood, on their way to the venue.
Video footage included taunts of “shame on you” and “you’re not welcome here” being screamed at arriving media figures.
“Why don’t you cover the genocide in f—ing Gaza?” demanded one demonstrator as conservative commentator Katie Pavlich attempted to enter the hotel.
The same protester claimed she was “complicit in this genocide.”
The pro-Hamas crowd has arrived outside the White House Correspondent’s Dinner and is VERY upset about me filming them pic.twitter.com/xEg3a8EPDR
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) April 27, 2024
“Western media, we see you and all the horrors that you hide,” demonstrators yelled at passersby outside of the hotel.
A number of prominent public figures have expressed their outrage over the spreading anti-Israel sentiment, including Caitlyn Jenner, who attended the dinner and subsequently wrote on social media: “Shame on the hundreds of Terrorist sympathizers and Hamas lovers outside last nights [sic] [dinner] that were far from peaceful. There is no place for you or your vitriolic antisemitism in this country. Get the hell out — we don’t tolerate terrorism here.”
Biden spoke for about 10 minutes during the swanky event but did not mention the protest taking place just outside. Instead, he took several potshots at his predecessor — and likely rival in the upcoming general election — Donald Trump.
“Of course the 2024 election is in full swing and yes, age is an issue,” the 81-year-old incumbent said. “I’m a grown man running against a 6-year-old.