Ye scurvy dogs disruptin' Blinken's gabbin'! Capitol constables give 'em the ol' heave-ho, arrr!
2024-05-21
Avast ye scallywags! Those landlubbers be interrupting a Senate powwow with Secretary Blinken, accursing him of war crimes and such! Methinks they be needin' more grog in their bellies to be talkin' such nonsense! Arrr!
A raucous scene unfolded at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing as Secretary of State Antony Blinken testified about his department's budget. Anti-Israel agitators disrupted the proceedings, with one man calling Blinken the "Butcher of Gaza" and accusing him of murdering innocent Palestinians. Chair Sen. Ben Cardin warned that any disruptors would be removed but that did not stop protesters from shouting their grievances. One woman even called Blinken a war criminal with blood on his hands, while another accused him of funding a genocide in Gaza.Despite the chaos, Blinken continued with his testimony, advocating for President Biden's budget request for the State Department. The situation escalated as the protesters were escorted out by Capitol police, with multiple individuals causing disturbances. The disruption prompted a bipartisan group of senators to release a statement condemning the International Criminal Court's decision to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders, emphasizing the false equivalence between Israel and Hamas.The hearing continued amid the commotion, with Blinken scheduled to testify before both Democrat and Republican-controlled committees, highlighting the ongoing tensions surrounding U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.