During a transient visit to her hometown, Vice President Kamala Harris was greeted with boos and jeers in Oakland on Wednesday by pro-Palestinian protesters demanding a everlasting ceasefire within the Gaza Strip and an end to U.S. aid to Israel.
A chorus of scorn echoed across Harris' motorcade as she arrived at a sold-out private fundraiser within the Oakland Hills hosted by an executive at Palantir Technologies, a software company that gives intelligence for military defense.
Later that day, Harris planned to go to Manny's Cafe, a San Francisco bar that also serves as a venue for political speeches, where pro-Palestinian protesters had already gathered to make an identical demand. The event was eventually moved to The Chapel, a music venue just a few blocks away.
The event was briefly interrupted when an attendee began shouting references to a “genocide” against Palestinians, based on reports of Wednesday's events. The person was escorted away by security forces because the gathered crowd chanted “Four more years!” in support of Harris.
Harris briefly addressed the problem, saying: “We have seen in Gaza that far too many innocent civilians have been killed and that in many cases humanitarian assistance has been denied.”
“The President and I have been very clear: this war must end, we need a ceasefire, we need to release the hostages, we need help and we need to commit to a two-state solution,” the Vice President continued. The crowd erupted in applause.
Still, the demonstrations – which drew several hundred people in total in each cities – were the most recent sign that many within the Bay Area's most progressive corners have lost their discontent with Harris and President Joe Biden over the U.S. administration's handling of Israel's eight-month assault on Gaza.
“Kamala Harris, you are a terrorist!” protesters in Oakland shouted bluntly from the sidewalk across from the road within the Claremont district that was cordoned off by police for the fundraiser.
One sign read: “Kamala, you are not welcome in your hometown as long as you destroy others.” Another read: “Kamala, you have become a monster.”
Tickets for the fundraiser – hosted by Amit Jain, the Palantir executive, and Smita Trivedi, an economics professor at San Francisco State University – ranged from $5,000 to $25,000 for a pair, based on pool reports. There were about 60 guests in attendance.
According to pool reports, Harris once said, referring to her recent travels, that “people around the world fully understand the consequences of this election for their own countries, but even less so for us.” The mention of Berkeley, her official hometown, was met with cheers from those in attendance.
Outside, in 27 degree heat, the protesters' frustration was palpable. The Israeli attack on Gaza has killed no less than 36,000 people and led to widespread hunger. In recent days, dozens of individuals have been killed in air strikes within the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
The military assault began in retaliation for the October 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and captured nearly 250 hostages. Eighty of them are believed to be alive and being held captive. Four hostages were declared dead this week, the Israeli military told the Associated Press.
Biden has proposed a three-stage ceasefire based on the belief that Hamas has already been sufficiently weakened by the Israeli attack. But protesters said Wednesday that the administration's continued aid to Israel had left Biden and Harris with “blood on their hands.”
“She has the audacity to think she can come here to our Bay Area to quietly fundraise and campaign,” said Wassim Hage, a representative of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, on the demonstration, which drew cries of concern.
“Palestine will be free in our lifetime,” Hage promised his fellow demonstrators.
The mood was similar in San Francisco's Mission District, where police arrested a girl who resisted being pushed back with the remainder of the gang half a block from where the event was originally scheduled to happen. It is unclear whether she was arrested.
“I am Jewish. One member of my family survived in Germany, dozens were killed. So I know about genocide,” said 79-year-old protester Catherine Cusic. “This is really genocide with our money.”
The ongoing violence in Gaza threatens to divide progressive forces within the upcoming elections. But in Oakland, some protesters said Wednesday that moderate liberal politics had left their mark within the Bay Area long before Oct. 7.
“Kamala Harris, you do not represent us,” said Afraz Khan of the Lighthouse Mosque in Oakland, adding, referring to her previous profession as a prosecutor, “We will continue to agitate … until you are locked up, just like you have locked up black and brown people in this state of California.”
The Associated Press and staff author Ethan Varian contributed to reporting this text.
image credit : www.mercurynews.com