WATCH: Protesters Surround Biden's White House Correspondents' Dinner, Chant 'Shame On You'
President Biden and his guests at the 108th White House correspondents’ dinner were greeted with chants of “shame on you” and “ceasefire now” after pro-Palestine supporters who are dissatisfied with Biden’s handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict surrounded the venue.
Hours before the event was set to begin, a massive crowd of pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Washington Hilton in the nation’s capital. Protesters held signs reading “ceasefire now” and “genocide Joe” as they flooded the area, once again highlighting the ongoing strife within the political left.
Some demonstrators held “die-in” protesters in the streets of Washington D.C., where protesters play dead in an effort to draw awareness to their cause. Others frantically shouted down journalists who were attempting to document the action, with many accusing journalists of complicity in “genocide.”
At one point, the crowd erupted into loud chants of “f**k Joe Bide.”
Protestors stage die-in in the street as attendees for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner walk by pic.twitter.com/9bpSElPSV4
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 28, 2024
“Fuck Joe Bi-den. Fuck Joe Bi-den.”#FreePalestine protesters outside White House Correspondents Dinner #WHCD pic.twitter.com/vf85etY5HD
— #StopCopCity (@ChuckModi1) April 27, 2024
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner — which was first held in 1914 — has suffered a massive decline in recent years.
In 2011, then-President Barrack Obama used the event to relentlessly mock Donald Trump, who was sitting in the audience. As Obama tore into both Trump’s appearance and beliefs, the future president appeared to be seething with rage as he intently stared at the 44th president while he tore into him.
The event is considered to be a catalyst for Trump’s White House bid in 2016 by a number of political pundits. Once elected, Trump skipped the event — where corporate journalists are lauded for their regime-friendly reporting — throughout his presidency. Instead, Trump opted to hold the annual “fake news award,” where numerous media falsehoods were highlighted.
”@POTUS @realDonaldTrump’s power is his media staging mastery, like Trump’s ‘Fake News’ Awards.#Trump @WhiteHouse is a ratings machine, the mother’s milk of media.
It’s exciting to watch the fireworks & fun to watch pundits get it wrong again!” Retweet!https://t.co/VOzxgejju9 pic.twitter.com/J8tAmwv24q
— Oliver McGee PhD MBA (@OliverMcGee) November 2, 2018
While President Biden has sought to revive the dying event, both he and his party have continued to be on the receiving end of consistent protests.
As celebrities and media figures streamed into the event, protesters draped in Palestinian flags chanted “shame on you” and “free, free Palestine.”
Protest organizers said they wanted to bring attention to casualties sustained as a result of Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip.
This is a developing story.
🚨“Free Palestine” protesters have surrounded the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington, DC where Biden is expected to speak later tonightpic.twitter.com/yWtbYrI1DJ
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 27, 2024