Lloyd Austin forced to stop speaking after pro-Hamas protest

Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin was interrupted by pro-Hamas protestors multiple times as he pleaded with lawmakers for billions to combat growing threats posed by Iran and other adversaries. Department of Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Q. Brown were at the Capitol to make their case before the House Appropriations Committee on their proposed $850 billion budget for fiscal year 2025.

The secretary pledged ‘ironclad’ military support for Israel days after Iran launched a ‘reckless assault’ of over 300 missiles and drone attacks on the country. ‘The most important thing that we can do right now is to pass the supplemental,’ Austin said of Speaker Johnson’s plan to green-light additional military spending that would provide air defenses and munitions for Israel in addition to money for Ukraine and U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific.

Shortly after Austin’s pro-Israel statement, two demonstrators cut him off forcing him to stop speaking. They erupted in protest claiming the U.S. and the military leaders are complicit in genocide in Gaza . The activists, who were affiliated with Code Pink – a group that has reported ties to the Chinese Communist Party – were swiftly removed by Capitol Police.

After the pair was removed over a dozen other protestors, sitting behind Austin and Brown, raised their pink-painted hands in an act of defiance as others filmed the distraction. Then, after another five minutes, the protestors displayed a new tactic.

Almost all the remaining demonstrators repeatedly began coughing and clearing their throats in unison to skirt warnings from Capitol Police. Minutes after the fake coughing charade, the reportedly CCP-affiliated protestors stood up and all began yelling at the military leaders in unison.

‘Shame on you, shame on you,’ they yelled. ‘Secretary Austin you are complicit in genocide,’ another activist yelled. ‘You say that genocide is good for American jobs. Shame on you,’ one screamed. The entire horde of pink-clad Hamas supporters, many dawning white and black keffiyehs, were then escorted out of the committee room.

Still, for another couple minutes their shrill shrieks could be heard from inside the hearing room. Many of the protestors were elderly white women, with some others appearing to be in their 30’s or 40’s. However, the heated protest did not deter Austin from the mission at hand.

‘We will continue to stand ready to protect our troops in the region and to support the defense of Israel from attacks by Iran or its proxies,’ the Pentagon chief testified. ‘And our commitment to Israel security is ironclad,’ he said, seemingly a rebuke to the many protestors. But the protests are not new for the military leaders.

Earlier this month, Code Pink protestors similarly screamed at Austin and Brown at a Senate hearing . After the protestors were removed, the hearing continued on business as usual and lawmakers posed questions about the U.S. military’s current capabilities and budget amid a changing global environment.

The leaders were also pressed on U.S. support for Ukraine while foreign aid for the embattled country has stalled in Congress despite pleas from the White House and the Ukrainian president for an immediate cash infusion. ‘China, Iran, and others are watching what happens in Ukraine,’ Austin said. ‘If the United States proves to be an unreliable partner not only will it erode the confidence of our European allies in NATO … [the] PRC and Iran will do the the kinds of things that they would want to do anyway.’

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