SACRAMENTO, California — Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff (D-CA) were interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters during their pitches to California Democrats at the state party’s endorsing convention.
“Ceasefire now!” the demonstrators repeatedly shouted Saturday in Sacramento, California during Porter and Schiff’s closing statements for the convention’s candidate forum.
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“I respect your opinions and I have heard you,” Porter said, whose protest was more protracted than that of Schiff. “I’m going to ask you to allow me to please finish my remarks.”
After the demonstrators dismissed her and the two forum moderators’ appeals to be respectful, California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks joined Porter on stage, telling the protesters “every candidate in this race deserves to be heard.”
“Every candidate in this race deserves to be heard, so let’s allow the congresswoman to finish her remarks,” he said.
Hicks returned to the stage during Schiff’s demonstration, saying “here” he was “again.”
“Give every candidate the opportunity to be heard before we go and make our voice heard at the ballot box,” he said.
Outside the convention hall, protesters held a sit-in near one of the doors. At some points, their chants made it hard to hear the candidates speak, except for Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), who has called for a ceasefire amid Israel‘s war against Hamas. Porter and Lee are considered to be more liberal Democrats than Schiff, with Porter’s share of the vote at risk over the conflict.
“What do we want?” one demonstrator said.
“A ceasefire,” the group replied.
“If we don’t get it?” the leader added.
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“Shut it down,” others responded.
The protesters later breached the convention hall doors and disrupted former Google executive Lexi Reese’s turn. Reese supports a ceasefire.
