A small group of protesters shouting "Free, Free Palestine" interrupted a campaign event by Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Thursday in her home state of South Carolina.
Haley has been heavily campaigning in South Carolina ahead of its GOP primary on Feb. 24 since finishing second behind former President Donald Trump in the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23. Trump and Haley are the remaining GOP candidates.
Shortly after Haley started speaking at Doc's Barbeque in Columbia, South Carolina, protesters started chanting "Free, Free Palestine," The Gazette reported. A protester accused the former South Carolina governor of being disqualified from the presidency because she is beholden to Israeli interest groups.
"Netanyahu is your puppet master!" a woman shouted, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while being escorted from the building. A man shouted, "You're a war monger" while being escorted out.
Some Haley supporters booed and shouted, "Lock them up," a video of the incident showed, but Haley told the crowd not to let the protesters agitate them.
"Don't ever get upset about people like that," Haley said, "because my husband and military men and women sacrifice every day for their right to do that."
It wasn't the first time Haley, a former U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration, has been heckled by pro-Palestinian protesters. During a speech in May 2018 at the University of Houston, Haley was quieted by those protesting her defense of Israel's military killing more than 50 Palestinians who tried to cross a boundary fence at the Gaza Strip.
Haley reportedly said Israel's military showed restraint, and the Trump administration blamed Hamas for the incident.
"Nikki, Nikki can't you see, you are on a killing spree," the protesters shouted. "Haley, Haley you can't hide, you signed off on genocide. Nikki Haley, can't you see, Palestine will be free."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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