AOC snaps at NYC protesters at movie theater demanding she call Israel’s military campaign in Gaza genocide: ‘It’s f—ked up’ (CW: New York Post) (archive.ph)

submitted 4 months ago by Walk_On@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lashed out at protesters who accosted her at a Brooklyn movie theater and demanded the lefty lawmaker call Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a “genocide,” new video shows.

Ocasio-Cortez was with her fiancé Riley Roberts when she lost her cool and dropped an f-bomb as a couple of protesters badgered her at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema around 5 p.m. Monday.

The protesters complained that Ocasio-Cortez, 34, won’t publicly call Israel’s bombing of the Palestinian territory a “genocide” as they confronted her inside the downtown Brooklyn theater, according to the footage.

“I need you to understand that this is not OK,” she told one male protester who held an iPhone near her face.

“It’s not OK that there’s a genocide happening and you’re not actively against it,” the protester shot back.

“You’re lying,” Ocasio-Cortez countered as she walked down an escalator with her beau.

The protesters continued to trail behind the Democrat, who was visibly aggravated as she made her way toward the exit. Between sets of escalators, Ocasio-Cortez got in the face of the protesters to again defend herself before walking away.

The video then cuts to everyone going outside, with Roberts turning around to confront the rabble rousers.

“Stop,” he said as Ocasio-Cortez walked ahead of him. “OK, stop.” The lawmaker then went on a tirade when she was asked if she was afraid the video clip would go viral.

“You’re gonna cut it … and you’re gonna clip this so that it’s completely out of context,” Ocasio-Cortez fumed.

“I already said that it was and y’all are just gonna pretend that it wasn’t over and over again. It’s f–ked up, man. And you’re not helping these people, and you’re not helping them, you’re not helping them.”

The video ended as the protesters continued to berate Ocasio-Cortez as she walked ahead with Roberts.

The Post has sought comment from the congresswoman’s office and her campaign.

Following Monday’s confrontation an old tweet resurfaced online where Ocasio-Cortez said protesting was supposed to make people “uncomfortable,” with some social media users calling the past message ironic.

“The whole point of protesting is to make [people] uncomfortable,” she tweeted in December 2020. “Activists take that discomfort w/ the status quo & advocate for concrete policy changes. Popular support often starts small & grows. To folks who complain protest demands make others uncomfortable… that’s the point.”

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[-] tactical_trans_karen@hexbear.net 39 points 4 months ago

she walked down an escalator with her beau.

This gave me psychic damage.

[-] LibsEatPoop@hexbear.net 31 points 4 months ago

Has the Squad not been calling it a genocide? I didn't know that. I thought for sure Tlaib and Omar were getting a lot of pushback just a few weeks ago, but I've not been following US domestic politics too closely.

[-] Riffraffintheroom@hexbear.net 27 points 4 months ago

I already said that it was and y’all are just gonna pretend that it wasn’t over and over again. It’s f–ked up, man

This makes it sound like she previously did say it was a genocide?

[-] Walk_On@hexbear.net 36 points 4 months ago

Ocasio-Cortez did not directly call Israel’s military action a genocide during a “Meet the Press” interview in late January as she sidestepped a question about whether using the term was going overboard.

“Some of your colleagues have accused the president of supporting genocide, including Rashida Tlaib. Do you agree with that word, genocide, that the president’s been supporting a genocide, or does that go too far?” host Kristen Welker asked her during the interview.

Ocasio-Cortez replied that the young people throughout the country were “appalled at the violence and the indiscriminate loss of life.” She cited a recent United Nations’ International Court of Justice decision that stated Israel has a responsibility to prevent a genocide.

“They are still determining whether it’s a genocide. Do you think that term is responsible given it’s still under investigation?” Welker pressed.

“I believe that they are. They’re still determining it. But in the interim ruling, the fact that they said there’s a responsibility to prevent it, the fact that this word is even in play, the fact that this word is even in our discourse, I think, demonstrates the mass inhumanity that Gazans are facing,” the congresswoman replied.

[-] queermunist@lemmy.ml 45 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

lol what a coward

We knew that when she voted "present" though.

[-] HumanBehaviorByBjork@hexbear.net 20 points 4 months ago

if she was consistently voting against the genocide, i wouldn't care about the words she uses, but she can't even take a symbolic stance

[-] AvocadoVapelung@hexbear.net 17 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I believe that they are. They’re still determining it.

monke-rage

[-] Rojo27@hexbear.net 13 points 4 months ago

This article is kind of old, but it seems this is about as close as she's come to it. Although close doesn't really mean much because she doesn't say it herself: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/29/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-public-discourse-israel-gaza-genocide

Also this more recent one, which points out that neither she nor Bernie have actually called it a genocide: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/haaretz-today/2024-02-20/ty-article/.highlight/why-bernie-sanders-aoc-wont-accuse-israel-of-genocide-in-gaza/0000018d-c762-d00f-a1df-df76f57b0000 (paywalled and I can't get an archived version ATM)

[-] normalmente@hexbear.net 30 points 4 months ago

It would have been better if she just legit snapped her fingers at the protestors for them to shoo, would have been better than posturing for genocide.