Vice President Kamala Harris addressed anti-Israel protesters during her speech at a rally in Arizona on Friday, telling them she respects their voices. The interruption occurred around five minutes into her speech to a packed house at Desert Diamond Arena near Phoenix.
Harris’ response marked a change from her approach the previous day in Michigan, where she shut down and scolded anti-Israel hecklers. She acknowledged that people have the right to protest but reminded them they were there to discuss the race for president in 2024.
The vice president emphasized her commitment to working with President Biden on securing a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. The massive crowd of around 15,000 supporters was largely jubilant throughout the rally, despite some disruptions from protesters.
In Phoenix, Harris showed more eagerness to engage with her detractors than she had in Detroit, where anti-Israel hecklers chanted “Kamala! Kamala! You can’t hide! We won’t vote for genocide!” during her speech. The Arizona rally was attended by many people who expressed enthusiasm about the vice president’s running mate selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, despite some admitting they had never heard of him until recently.
