Antony Blinken’s Final Press Conference Interrupted By Protester

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s final press conference was interrupted by several protesters on Thursday.

Blinken was interrupted by the protesters after discussing the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza.

While Blinken was addressing the conflict, one protester named Sam Husseini, an independent journalist, shouted, “Criminal! Why aren’t you in The Hague.”

The Hague is the location in the Netherlands, where the International Criminal Court is located.

Watch the moment it happened here:

BREAKING: Protester repeatedly interrupts Secretary of State Tony Blinken during a news conference and accuses him of serious crimes.

The protester shouted: “Why aren’t you in The Hague?”—a pointed reference to the International Criminal Court’s role in prosecuting crimes… pic.twitter.com/U7IhqkeJTc

— Vigilant News (@VigilantNews) January 16, 2025

BREAKING NOW:
A Protester was carried out from Antony Blinken’s briefing while screaming
“why aren’t you in The Hague Why aren’t you in The Hague” pic.twitter.com/UXB0ANtrCj

— SANTINO (@MichaelSCollura) January 16, 2025

Per Reuters:

Several journalists who are outspoken critics of U.S. support for Israel loudly lambasted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the war in Gaza on Thursday, repeatedly interrupting his final press conference as he sought to defend his handling of the 15-month-old conflict.

Israel’s assault on Gaza is likely to define the foreign policy legacy of the outgoing Biden administration, despite a deal reached with Palestinian militant group Hamas on Wednesday on a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages.

“Criminal! Why aren’t you in The Hague,” shouted Sam Husseini, an independent journalist and longtime critic of Washington’s approach to the world. The Hague is where the International Criminal Court is located.

The unusually confrontational scene in the State Department briefing room only ended when security personnel forcibly picked up Husseini and carried him out of the room as he continued to heckle Blinken.

Protester carried out from Blinken’s briefing screams why aren’t you in The Hague Why aren’t you in The Hague pic.twitter.com/xhYLRE6Vk2

— Karli Bonne’ 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) January 16, 2025

Per The Hill:

Two journalists disrupted Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s last press briefing Thursday with criticism over his handling of the war in Gaza.

“Your father-in-law was an Israel lobbyist. Your grandfather was an Israel lobbyist. Are you compromised by Israel? Why did you allow the Holocaust of our time to happen?” Max Blumenthal, editor of the blog Grayzone, asked Blinken.

“How does it feel to have your legacy be genocide?”
He questioned both Blinken and State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on the actions in the Middle East he said harmed “300 reporters” while he was being escorted out by staff.

“Why did you keep the bombs flowing when we had a deal in May? We all knew we had a deal. Everyone in this room knows we had a deal, Tony, and you kept the bombs flowing,” Blumenthal said in his earlier statements during the press briefing, likely referring to the airstrike on a displacement camp in Rafah last year.

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