Gaza Protesters Shut Down Adam Schiff’s Victory Speech

The California congressman won the state’s Senate primary on Super Tuesday after boosting a Republican in order to edge out fellow Democrat Katie Porter

Rep. Adam Schiff succeeded on two fronts Tuesday night, winning the California Senate primary and ensuring that the Republican opponent his campaign propped up with millions of dollars defeated progressive Democrat Katie Porter. But if Schiff (D-Calif.) thought his election night would be smooth sailing, he got a surprise when he took to the stage at Hollywood’s Avalon Theater. 

As Schiff attempted to deliver his planned victory speech, protesters calling for a cease-fire in Gaza — where more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s ongoing offensive against the territory — interrupted him. The protesters managed to shout him down and halt proceedings as security attempted to escort them off the premises. 

Multiple waves of protesters, many belonging to the Jewish activist groups If Not Now and Jewish Voices for Peace, delivered chants of “cease-fire now” and “let Gaza live” as Schiff stumbled through attempts to regain control of his venue. 

“I want to thank you all,” he said. “We are so lucky, so lucky to live in a democracy where we all have the right to protest. We’re so lucky to live in that democracy and we want to make sure that we keep this kind of democracy.”

Schiff reportedly left the stage before he could finish his speech. 

On Tuesday, Schiff, one of the most prominent Democratic backers of Israel in the House of Representatives, told reporters that his position on the conflict “is the same as the administration.” 

“There needs to be a deal to release the hostages and have a pause in the fighting,” he said, adding that “the obstacle to getting that temporary cease-fire is Hamas.”

The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, and the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza, has become a focal point of the California Senate race — as well as President Joe Biden’s national reelection effort. In critical swing states, voters supporting a cease-fire have taken to voting “uncommitted” in the Democratic primaries in protest of the Biden administration’s policy toward the war. In some states, the uncommitted vote surpassed more than 10 percent of the total vote count. Given that Biden narrowly won several key battleground states in his 2020 race against Trump, voters supporting a permanent cease-fire and humanitarian aid for Palestinians are hoping that a threat to the president’s electoral prospects may finally spur him into taking decisive action.