'20,000 Palestinians, their blood is on your hands': Biden's speech disrupted with Gaza ceasefire call (WATCH)
A few demonstrators, chanting "ceasefire now," were swiftly countered by supporters chanting "four more years" during US President Joe Biden's address at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston on Monday.
FollowProtesters demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict disrupted US President Joe Biden's campaign speech on Monday at a historic church in South Carolina. A few demonstrators, chanting "ceasefire now," were swiftly countered by supporters chanting "four more years" during Biden's address at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. This church was the site of the 2015 murders of nine people by a white supremacist.
In a video that has now gone viral on X, formerly Twitter, a protester can be heard saying, "If you really care about the lives lost here, you should honor the lives and call for a ceasefire in Palestine." Soon a bunch of protesters starting chanting 'ceasefire now', with one protester shouting, "20,000 Palestinians. Their blood is on your hands, your hand."
“I understand their passion,” Biden said, acknowledging the protesters, as well as a rift that’s divided some within the Democratic Party. “I’ve been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza.”
Biden's presence at Mother Emanuel, along with his speech near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on Friday, underscored the primary theme of his 2024 campaign message: Voters confront an existential decision between Biden, positioned as a defender of democracy, and his anticipated Republican rival, former President Donald Trump. According to Biden, Trump had "attempted to overturn a free and fair election by force and violence." The Biden campaign aims to solidify this stark contrast in the minds of voters throughout the presidential campaign.
“There’s some in this country trying to turn a loss into a lie,” Biden said Monday. “This time, the lie is about the 2020 election.”
Biden once again labeled Trump as "a loser," a remark he had made last Friday, drawing cheers from the South Carolina crowd.
Additionally, he criticized former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who recently hesitated to affirm that slavery was the cause of the Civil War during a campaign event last month.
“Let me be clear for those who don’t seem to know — slavery was the cause of the Civil War,” Biden said. “There’s no negotiation about that.”
Biden's address in South Carolina coincides with a backdrop of declining poll numbers, especially among Black voters. Notably, Black political figures, including Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), have expressed deep concern about the Biden campaign's capacity to "break through the MAGA wall" and connect with voters.
