Kamala Harris’ first stop on the “107 Days” book tour was interrupted multiple times Wednesday night by protesters denouncing Israel’s war in Gaza, but the former vice president pressed on with calm.
An enthusiastic crowd greeted the former vice president at Town Hall in Manhattan, but half an hour into the program, the first of at least three protesters shouted accusations of “genocide,” prompting security to escort them out, according to multiple media reports and videos posted on social media.
The crowd countered with chants of “Kamala.” Harris kept quiet at first, but eventually spoke up to lower the temperature.
“I’m not president right now,” she said, drawing cheers. “There’s nothing I can do.”
“Unlike the current president of the United States, I understand what’s happening right now in Gaza,” she added after more protesters popped up. “What is happening to the Palestinian people is outrageous, and it breaks my heart.”
She also said that during her vice presidency, she raised concerns about humanitarian suffering in Gaza, but “couldn’t make the decision” to intervene as she wasn’t the president then, either. Harris slammed the Trump administration for giving a “blank check” to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and suggested that Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un are “laughing at us right now.”
The discussion of “107 Days” – a reference to her truncated campaign – was moderated by journalist Aaron Parnas. It ranged from Harris’ account of Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid to campaigning while serving as vice president.
Harris also confirmed her endorsement of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, calling his candidacy “powerful.”
Demonstrators also waved Palestinian flags outside the midtown venue. The New York stop was the first in a nationwide tour that will include Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, and international dates in Toronto and London.
