A pro-Palestinian protestor assaulted a police officer during a private fundraiser event for Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Monday.
Pro-Palestinian protestors on Sunday crashed a birthday fundraiser in Milwaukee for Baldwin, who is seeking reelection this year, according to the Sentinel. One protester who had a bullhorn and was shouting criticisms at Baldwin got into a physical altercation with a police officer who arrived on the scene. (RELATED: ‘F*ck Joe Biden’: Huge Pro-Palestinian Protest Ends Up At Biden’s Front Gate)
The protester challenged the officer about his ethnicity, according to the Sentinel. After the officer told the protester he was Palestinian, she declared he was serving the wrong cause and punched him.
“Striking a police officer is never acceptable,” Andrew Mamo, a spokesman for Baldwin, told the Sentinel. “On Sunday, a group of protestors barged into an event they were not invited to. They were asked to leave and refused. Police were called. The protestors were removed and the event proceeded as planned.”
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 18: Protesters stage a demonstration in support of a ceasefire against the Palestinians in Gaza at the National Mall on October 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. Members of the Jewish Voice for Peace and the IfNotNow movement staged a rally to call for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The officer was not seriously injured in the attack, according to the Sentinel. Baldwin’s office said she is in contact with the Milwaukee police department regarding the officer’s status and plans to call him directly the next day he is on duty.
It isn’t clear whether the protestor was arrested, or whether charges have been referred to the district attorney’s office, according to the Sentinel.
“The safety of our officers is a priority for the Milwaukee Police Department,” the agency said in a statement, according to the Sentinel. “While MPD is committed to transparency, we are unable to provide information at this time, as this recent incident is under an active investigation.”
Palestinian protestors have confronted several Democratic lawmakers and officials since Israel launched its counteroffensive against Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 7. Hamas attacked Israel on that date and killed over 1,200 civilians.
Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry estimates that more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, according to The Associated Press, though that number does not discriminate between militants and civilians. The Health Ministry has been criticized for providing false or unreliable information.
President Joe Biden has held a number of speeches where pro-Palestinian protestors burst in and disrupted his events, calling on him to demand a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Biden is bleeding support among his voting base — specifically Muslims and young people — over his continued support for Israel’s war efforts.
Baldwin and the Milwaukee police department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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