Ceasefire Protesters Repeatedly Interrupt Blinken’s Senate Testimony

by Madeleine Hubbard

About a dozen pro-ceasefire protesters were arrested Tuesday after repeatedly interrupting Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee with chants such as “From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go!”

Code Pink, a left-wing nonprofit activism group, organized the demonstration in support of a ceasefire in Gaza as Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testified before the Senate. 

The demonstrators held their red-painted hands up during the hearing and displayed messages such as “Free Gaza.” Israel launched a ground campaign in Gaza after the Hamas terrorists who govern Gaza invaded Israel and killed more than 1,400 people, including at least 31 U.S. citizens, on Oct. 7. The Hamas-run Health Ministry says more than 8,000 Palestinians have died since then.

Footage from the hearing appears to show the protesters were responsible for multiple interruptions. At least three individual protesters were behind three separate interruptions before they were escorted out of the room. 

Anti-Israel demonstrator interrupts Sec. State Blinken at US Senate hearing.

(Video clip: CSPAN) pic.twitter.com/0xpAEmMmjq

— Jewish News Syndicate (@JNS_org) October 31, 2023

The repeated interruptions appear to have ended after all the demonstrators erupted in chants and stood up en masse. 

The Capitol Police Department told Just the News: “Approximately 12 people were arrested for D.C. Code § 22–1307 – Crowding, Obstructing, or Incommoding – for illegally protesting inside the Dirksen Senate Office Building.”

💕BREAKING: @codepink Activists Arrested for
Disrupting Sec. Blinken and Defense Sec. Austin in Senate Hearing. They were demanding #CeaseFirelnGazaNOW! 💕 pic.twitter.com/YP9vhPznFc

— Melissa Garriga 💕 (@MelissaAGarriga) October 31, 2023

Code Pink, well known for its vocal protests, is one of many organizations speaking out against the war in Israel. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused, stating Monday: “Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism. That will not happen.”

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Madeleine Hubbard  joined Just the News as a fast file reporter after working as an editor at Breitbart News.
Photo “CodePink Protests” by Melissa Garriga.