Protesters interrupt Biden, Obama, Clinton at NY fundraiser
new YORK: President Joe Biden and his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, headlined a star-studded fundraiser with former President Bill Clinton, offering a robust defence of the White House’s handling of the Gaza crisis as protesters interrupted the event.
Biden, who travelled with Obama on Air Force One to New York, took part in a discussion with Clinton moderated by The Late Show host Stephen Colbert at the iconic Radio City Music Hall in front of thousands of guests.
Organisers say the event raised more than Us$25mil for Biden’s US reelection campaign.
But the fundraiser was punctuated by several protests inside the massive auditorium, with attendees rising at several different moments to shout over the discussion, referencing Biden’s backing of Israel in the Gaza war that has killed more than 30,000 people.
“Shame on you, Joe Biden!” one yelled.
Obama and Clinton offered a presidential perspective of the Gaza crisis that stressed the political realities of being in the White House.
A president needs to be able to support Israel at the same time as fighting for Palestinians to have more access to food, medical supplies and a future state, they said.
“It’s a lonely seat,” Obama said. “One of the realities of the presidency is that the world has a lot of joy and beauty, but it also has a lot of tragedy and cruelty.”
When a protester inside the theatre interrupted Obama, the former president snapped back: “You can’t just talk and not listen ... That’s what the other side does.”
The pair of former presidents also defended Biden’s handling of the economy, which gets low ratings in national polls.
Before the event, the three leaders’ motorcade passed hundreds of protesters demonstrating against Israel’s war on Gaza, another sign that some young voters and other progressives who voted for Biden in 2020 are furious about his staunch backing of Israel. — Reuters