Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during Tuesday’s live taping of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” — and demanded an end to ongoing military aid the United States is providing Israel during its brutal conflict with the militant group Hamas.
The “Late Show” is filming at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago this week, a mere 3 miles from the United Center where the Democratic National Convention is being held. Pelosi was promoting her new book, “The Art of Power.”
While Pelosi was talking with Colbert about President Joe Biden stepping away from his reelection bid, at least one protester could be heard shouting from the audience. According to a journalist from The Hollywood Reporter who was in attendance, one woman yelled, “Free Palestine!” Colbert acknowledged the interruption and promised to ask about the topic after the commercial break.
At the beginning of the next segment, Colbert asked Pelosi about “the proper use of American power” in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“We’ve had a commitment to Israel. It’s been in our security interests to do so,” Pelosi said. “Israel was attacked by a terrorist organization. We want the hostages freed, but we don’t want children killed in Gaza, and so we have to come up with a solution.”
“We just got word earlier today that Israel had agreed to the cease-fire agreement. We’re hoping that Hamas will too,” she added. “But it takes me to the point of saying to you: War has no role in a civilized society. We have to learn more about trust and peace.”
The audio temporarily cut out as protesters began shouting for an end to the conflict.
“As you can see from the continuing protest out here,” Colbert chimed in over the audible shouting, “that answer is unsatisfying to some people because they … have said that the United States should not have any role in supplying Israel arms to kill the people of Gaza.”
His succinctly conveyed message spurred raucous applause inside the theater.
Pelosi merely reiterated that Israel “has a right to defend itself,” however, and was interrupted one last time by protesters. The segment ended mere moments after Colbert pleaded: “Please don’t interrupt my guests.”
“We are a live show so we have to go at this point,” he concluded.
People also demonstrated outside the theater.
A Hamas attack on Oct. 7 killed an estimated 1,200 people in Israel. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and left untold refugees lacking potable water, electricity and anesthesia.
The Biden administration has repeatedly said it is fighting for a cease-fire deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though the State Department confirmed earlier this month that the U.S. will keep military aid flowing to an Israeli unit accused of human rights abuses.
Leaked memos from the State Department previously showed Israel may be violating international law in blocking aid into Gaza. International mediators have since kicked off a new round of cease-fire talks in Doha, Qatar.