Here are the details that emerged from a Wednesday NY Times report on a campaign stop in an airport hangar in Detroit, Michigan, by Vice President Kamala Harris and her new running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota.
Before her appearance in front of a crowd of pro-Hamas Democrats, Harris met with Abbas Alawieh and Layla Elabed, the founders of the Uncommitted National Movement that mobilized more than 100,000 people to withhold their votes from President Biden in the Michigan primary over his support for Israel in Gaza. Alawieh and Elabed had been invited to welcome VP Harris and Gov. Walz of Minnesota in a photo op.
There, according to Alawieh and Elabed, they asked Harris for a meeting to discuss an arms embargo on Israel.
Elabed told the Times she broke into tears when she introduced herself to Harris. “I told her that I meet with my community members who are losing tens and hundreds of family members every day, and we need something from her that can guarantee that we can save their families’ lives,” she told the VP.
The Uncommitted leaders have requested not only an arms embargo on Israel but also speaking roles at the convention for a representative from their group and a “Palestinian” spokesperson.
The Harris campaign spokesman later said that “in this brief engagement,” the presumed Democratic nominee for president “reaffirmed that her campaign will continue to engage with those communities.”
The Uncommitted movement issued this press release following their meeting with Harris:
In the Detroit hangar, Kamala Harris was confronted with a very different, hostile reception of pro-Hamas protesters who shouted, “Kamala, Kamala, you can’t hide, we won’t vote for genocide.”
Initially, Harris dismissed the interruptions, framing them as a demonstration of democratic participation. Her supporters attempted to counter the hecklers with their own chants.
However, as the protesters remained and their chants persisted, the vice president’s patience wore thin. Unable to continue her speech, Harris finally addressed the disruption directly.
“Be clear about your intentions,” she said firmly. “If you’re advocating for Donald Trump’s victory, state it openly. Otherwise, allow me to continue my address.”
Finally, here’s Gov. Walz on Tim Walz on the Uncommitted movement’s effort against Israel: “These are voters that are deeply concerned—as we all are. The situation in Gaza is intolerable…we start bringing these folks back in, we listen to what they’re saying—that’s a healthy thing…”
Tim Walz on “Uncommitted” effort against Israel’s war on Gaza
“These are voters that are deeply concerned—as we all are. The situation in Gaza is intolerable…we start bringing these folks back in, we listen to what they’re saying—that’s a healthy thing…”pic.twitter.com/VOTP7sOd7F— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) August 6, 2024
