Haley campaign event disrupted by ‘Free Palestine’ protesters

Free Palestine protesters disrupted a campaign event for GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley in South Carolina Thursday, calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

A small group of protesters interrupted the former governor’s campaign event in Columbia, S.C., with chants of “Free, Free Palestine,” before some of them were escorted out of the event.

Haley supporters responded by cheering her name right before the GOP candidate addressed the crowd, some members of which waved white and red signs reading, “Pick Nikki.”

Haley told the crowd they should not be agitated over the protesters’ conduct, after some people yelled, “lock them up.”

“Don’t ever get upset about people like that, because my husband and military men and women sacrifice every day for their right to do that,” Haley said.

Haley used to face pro-Palestinian protesters during her tenure at the United Nations, but on the 2024 campaign trail, protesters had been more focused on President Biden. The president has faced protesters at various campaign events across the country for refusing to call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Haley, who trails former President Trump in the GOP primary, has campaigned in her home state over the past week after coming in third in the Iowa caucuses and second in the New Hampshire primary. The South Carolina primary will take place Feb. 24. Trump, the current GOP front-runner, has won both early states.

Haley currently trails the former president in South Carolina by 30.8 percentage points, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ polling averages.

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