An election-year roast of President Biden earlier journalists, celebrities and politicians astatine nan yearly White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday butted up against increasing nationalist discord complete nan Israel-Hamas war, pinch protests extracurricular nan arena condemning some Mr. Biden's handling of nan conflict and nan Western news' media sum of it.
Mr. Biden, for illustration astir of his predecessors, utilized nan glitzy yearly White House Correspondents' Association banquet to jab astatine his rival, erstwhile President Donald Trump. He followed nan jokes pinch intense warnings astir what he said would hap if Trump won nan presidency again.
President Biden greets comedian Colin Jost during nan White House Correspondents meal astatine nan Washington Hilton, successful Washington, D.C, connected April 27, 2024.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
With hundreds of protesters rallying against nan warfare successful Gaza extracurricular nan arena and concerns complete nan conflict and humanitarian situation successful Gaza and nan perils for journalists covering nan conflict, nan warfare hung complete this year's event. But speakers wrong made only passing mention of nan conflict contempt immoderate having to tally a gauntlet of demonstrators. Mr. Biden's speech, which lasted astir 10 minutes, made nary mention of nan ongoing warfare aliases nan increasing humanitarian situation successful Gaza.
"Shame connected you!" protesters draped successful nan accepted Palestinian keffiyeh cloth shouted, moving aft men successful tuxedos and suits and women successful agelong dresses who were holding clutch purses arsenic guests hurried wrong for nan dinner.
Chants accused U.S. journalists of undercovering nan warfare and misrepresenting it. "Western media we spot you, and each nan horrors that you hide," crowds chanted astatine 1 point.
Demonstrators outcry at, and effort to artifact arriving guests extracurricular of nan Washington Hilton, nan tract of nan yearly White House Correspondents' Dinner, connected April 27, 2024 successful Washington, D.C.
Kent Nishimura / Getty Images
Other protesters laic sprawled motionless connected nan pavement, adjacent to mock-ups of flak vests pinch "press" insignia.
Ralliers cried "Free, free Palestine." They shouted erstwhile astatine 1 constituent personification wrong nan Washington Hilton — wherever nan meal has been held for decades — unfurled a Palestinian emblem from a top-floor edifice window.
Criticism of nan Mr. Biden administration's support for Israel's six-month-old subject violative successful Gaza has dispersed done American assemblage campuses, pinch students pitching encampments successful an effort to unit their universities to divest from Israel. Counterprotests backmost Israel's violative and kick of antisemitism.
Mr. Biden's motorcade Saturday took an alternate way from nan White House to nan Washington Hilton than successful erstwhile years, mostly avoiding nan crowds of demonstrators.
Mr. Biden's reside earlier astir 3,000 group was being followed by entertainer Colin Jost from "Saturday Night Live." Academy Award victor Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Scarlett Johansson, Jon Hamm and Chris Pines were among different stars.
Kelly O'Donnell, president of nan correspondents' association, opened nan arena by reminding nan assemblage of nan important activity that journalists do but noting that nan meal is happening astatine "a analyzable infinitesimal for our nation," and successful a decisive predetermination year.
O'Donnell went connected to database nan scores of journalists who person been imprisoned crossed nan world, including Americans Evan Gershkovich and Austin Tice. The families of those journalists were successful attendance arsenic they person been astatine erstwhile dinners. She concisely mentioned journalists killed successful nan warfare betwixt Israel and Hamas.
Mr. Biden began his roast pinch a nonstop attraction connected Trump, calling him "sleepy Don," successful reference to a nickname Trump had fixed nan president previously. He went connected to statement that contempt being akin successful age, nan 2 statesmanlike hopefuls person small other successful common.
"My vice president really endorses me," Mr. Biden said. Former Vice President Mike Pence has refused to endorse Trump's reelection bid.
The president made a grim reside astir what he believes is astatine liking this election, saying that different Trump management would beryllium moreover much harmful to America than his first term. "We person to return this superior — 8 years agone we could person written it disconnected arsenic 'Trump talk' but not aft January 6," Mr. Biden told nan audience, referring to nan supporters of Trump who stormed nan Capitol aft Mr. Biden defeated Trump successful nan 2020 election.
Law enforcement, including nan Secret Service, person instituted other thoroughfare closures and different measures to guarantee what Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said would beryllium nan "highest levels of information and information for attendees."
The agency was moving pinch Washington constabulary to protect demonstrators' correct to assemble, Guglielmi said. However, "we will stay intolerant to immoderate convulsive aliases destructive behavior."
Protest organizers said they wanted to bring attraction to nan precocious numbers of Palestinian and different Arab journalists killed by Israel's subject since nan warfare began successful October.
More than 2 twelve journalists successful Gaza wrote a missive past week calling connected their colleagues successful Washington to boycott nan meal altogether.
"The toll exacted connected america for simply fulfilling our journalistic duties is staggering," nan missive states. "We are subjected to detentions, interrogations, and torture by nan Israeli military, each for nan 'crime' of journalistic integrity."
One organizer complained that nan White House Correspondents' Association — which represents nan hundreds of journalists who screen nan president — mostly has been silent since nan first weeks of nan warfare astir nan killings of Palestinian journalists. WHCA did not respond to petition for comment.
According to a preliminary investigation released Friday by nan Committee to Protect Journalists, astir 100 journalists person been killed covering nan warfare successful Gaza. Israel has defended its actions, saying it has been targeting militants.
"Since nan Israel-Gaza warfare began, journalists person been paying nan highest price— their lives—to take sides our correct to nan truth. Each clip a journalist dies aliases is injured, we suffer a part of that truth," CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna said successful a statement.
Sandra Tamari, executive head of Adalah Justice Project, a U.S.-based Palestinian defense group that helped shape nan missive from journalists successful Gaza, said "it is shameful for nan media to dine and laughter pinch President Biden while he enables nan Israeli devastation and starvation of Palestinians successful Gaza."
In addition, Adalah Justice Project started an email run targeting 12 media executives astatine various news outlets — including The Associated Press — expected to be nan meal who antecedently signed onto a missive calling for nan protection of journalists successful Gaza.
"How tin you still spell erstwhile your colleagues successful Gaza asked you not to?" a demonstrator asked guests heading in. "You are complicit."
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