Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was confronted by protesters from the far-left group CodePink on Tuesday as she was headed to a vote in the House on additional funding for Israel.
Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the group that describes itself “a feminist grassroots organization working to end U.S. warfare and imperialism, support peace and human rights initiatives, and redirect resources into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming* programs,” along with other members of her group, yelled at the California Democrat over her support for the Jewish nation.
(The asterisk in that quotation designates a note on the group’s “About” page of its website to make it clear to visitors that murdering unborn children is, in its opinion, one of the “life-affirming programs” that “uplift human dignity.”)
The group posted video of the part of the confrontation saying in the post that “Nancy Pelosi is an Israel apologist.
“Today, she refused to answer for her support for Israel as we talked to her ahead of the House vote on sending $17.6 billion more to support Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” the group wrote.
The video opens with an 8-second clip of Pelosi waving Benjamin off as she yells at her that CodePink is an American organization and not based in China or Russia, implying that Pelosi has made that claim previously.
The actual beginning of the video appears to begin in medias res, as Benjamin, wearing a pink shirt that read “No $$$ for Israel,” asks Pelosi, “Are you voting yes or not to genocide,” in an apparent reference to funding for Israel. “Are you gonna vote no on the money?”
Other protesters, apparently in coodination with Benjamin, also yelled at Pelosi as she attempted to continue walking through the hallway toward a secure area where the protesters would have to stop following her.
“$1 million in sales,” another protester yells from off-camera. “Congratulations on making money off genocide!”
“We’re not Russian sponsored,” Benjamin continued, apparently apropos of nothing. “We’re not from China. We don’t have headquarters in China. Our headquarters is right here in the United States.”
Pelosi didn’t appear to offer any response, and the protesters then changed their tactics, arguing that the federal money should be spent at home — including to meet needs in Pelosi’s home base of San Francisco — rather than sent to Israel.
“Shame on you!” another woman yelled. “Shame on you!”
“She’s making money while people are being slaughtered in Gaza,” one said.
Nancy Pelosi is an Israel apologist.
Today, she refused to answer for her support for Israel as we talked to her ahead of the House vote on sending $17.6 billion more to support Israel’s genocide in Gaza. @medeabenjamin pic.twitter.com/o1lRgW94cN
— CODEPINK (@codepink) February 6, 2024
“Don’t call us Russian apologists or Chinese apologists,” Benjamin yelled, “when you are an Israel apologist.”
At that point, Pelosi reached a security checkpoint and stopped walking for a second or two — long enough to dismiss the protesters with a wave of her hand.
As she disappeared from the camera’s view, the protesters continued yelling about Pelosi making money in the stock market, yelling, “Shame!”
The stock trading references were apparently in response to the fact that Pelosi purchased 50 call options on NVIDIA stock in November, as revealed by congresstrading.com in an X post at the time.
Pelosi bet millions on $NVDA in November using call options. Using a deceptive tactic, she purposely disclosed this on the Friday before Christmas weekend to avoid media coverage. pic.twitter.com/HR3KvynbPI
— congresstrading.com (@congresstrading) December 22, 2023
“Pelosi bet millions on [NVIDA] in November using call options,” the post to X explained. “Using a deceptive tactic, she purposely disclosed this on the Friday before Christmas weekend to avoid media coverage.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.