A town hall hosted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was disrupted Friday evening by a protester who accused the congresswoman of enabling “genocide” in Gaza and labeled her a “war criminal.”
The event, held in her congressional district, had barely started when Ocasio-Cortez began presenting a PowerPoint presentation focused on the Trump administration’s past budget cuts, including claims that local healthcare systems were impacted.
Before she could complete her first slide, a woman in the audience interrupted by loudly demanding an explanation for the congresswoman’s stance on Gaza.
“I am a healthcare worker and I want to know what you’re doing about the genocide in Gaza!” the protester shouted.
Audience members immediately began shouting over the disruption, with chants of “Shame! Shame! Shame!” and loud boos directed at the protester.
The exchange continued for several moments as the woman kept yelling over the congresswoman, accusing her of dishonesty and complicity in wartime atrocities.
“Shame on you, you’re a liar. You’re a liar!” she screamed.
As she was eventually escorted from the room by staff, she continued yelling, “Shame on you, I used to support you. You’re a war criminal! War criminal! War criminal!”
NOW: "You're a war criminal!" –
Pro-Palestine Heckler shouts as AOC holds Town Hall in Jackson Heights Queens, NYC. pic.twitter.com/92cE0ReYXD— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) May 2, 2025
Event organizers allowed the protester to continue shouting before intervening and escorting her out without incident.
After order was restored, Ocasio-Cortez addressed the situation and appealed for civil discourse during the remainder of the town hall.
“I more than welcome people who disagree, or are super pissed off at me for any issue to come, but we have some ground rules here,” she told the crowd.
The disruption comes amid growing scrutiny over Ocasio-Cortez’s political trajectory, with speculation mounting that she may be preparing for a run at higher office.