President Joe Biden was confronted by pro-Palestinian protesters in Milwaukee who warned that he would lose Wisconsin without their votes.
Biden traveled to the largest city of the battleground state to speak at the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce as part of an effort to increase enthusiasm among minority voters. In a sight common since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, the president was greeted by a sizable protest consisting of people urging him to reconsider his support for Israel. The protest was organized by the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine, a group that represents over 60 organizations.
“What is happening in Gaza is genocide, and he is complicit with that genocide, so he has blood on his hands,” attorney Munjed Ahmad told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We still expect him to call for a ceasefire and not have the U.S. stand alone on the wrong side of history.”
The group went so far as to threaten to withhold their votes in 2024 if Biden’s stance doesn’t change. Ahmad believes such a move would be enough to cost Biden the state.
“He won Wisconsin by about 20,000 votes only,” he said. “We are a voting bloc that is way more than 20,000. He will not win Wisconsin without our votes. And at this point, he doesn’t have them. It is our intention to abandon him because of his complicity with the genocide.”
RIGHT NOW: President Joe Biden just landed in Milwaukee and a huge crowd is protesting outside of the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce, waiting for his arrival. A line of Milwaukee police officers and vehicles is containing the protest away from the building. pic.twitter.com/C4qvhijepU
— Kendall Keys (@KendallKeysTV) December 20, 2023
The protest was large enough to warrant a heavy police response, and officers stood by with batons and armored vehicles, TMJ 4 reported.
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The effort is part of a coordinated campaign of American Muslims in swing states to mobilize threats of withholding Muslim votes. The campaign is called #abandonbiden.
Muslim leaders from Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania met in Dearborn, Michigan, to launch the campaign earlier this month.
