Harris book launch marred by outrage over Gaza genocide

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Associated Press
25 Sep 2025 19:27

Kamala Harris' New York book tour launch was dominated by protests over the Gaza genocide, as she condemned Trump's blank check to "Israel" but faced criticism from human rights advocates who say her empathy falls short without concrete action to end US complicity.

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People protest the war on Gaza outside former Vice President Kamala Harris' book tour event for her new book about her presidential campaign, "107 Days," at Town Hall in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025 (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

The Associated Press on Thursday reported that former Vice President Kamala Harris' book tour debut in New York was overtaken by the outcry over "Israel's" war on Gaza, as pro-Palestine protesters confronted her on stage and outside the venue, demanding accountability for US complicity in the genocide.

"What's happening to the Palestinian people is outrageous, and it breaks my heart," Harris told the packed crowd of more than 1,500, after the first of four demonstrators interrupted her remarks. She accused President Donald Trump of giving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "a blank check to do whatever he wants."

The event coincided with the release of her new book, 107 Days, which recounts her campaign against Trump after Joe Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 race. Strong interest forced organizers to add an earlier show, but the evening was overshadowed by the Gaza war and the mounting anger of activists who say Washington has enabled "Israel's" destruction of the enclave.

Protesters in support of Gaza have interrupted Kamala Harris several times during the first stop of her book tour tonight in NYC.

At one point, she responded to a protester: “I’m not president right now. There’s nothing I can do.” pic.twitter.com/3oGdLnHzp6
— Sabrina Rodríguez (@sabrod123) September 24, 2025

Empathy Without Action

According to Gaza's Health Ministry, over 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since "Israel's" genocide began in October 2023, with entire neighborhoods flattened and famine conditions imposed on the besieged population. UN experts, including Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, have warned that "Israel's" actions bear the hallmarks of genocide, pointing to widespread killing, starvation, and the deliberate creation of conditions aimed at erasing Palestinian life.

Human rights groups have repeatedly urged the US to suspend arms shipments and pressure "Israel" to end the blockade, but successive administrations have failed to act.

Harris insisted she had raised the alarm about starvation in Gaza a year and a half ago, despite backlash from within the Biden administration. Critics, however, say empathy without concrete policy change rings hollow. "Without an actual commitment to stop killing the children of Gaza, I don't care about her empathy for them," scholar and advocate Eman Abdelhadi recently remarked, reflecting the view of many activists disillusioned with the Democratic establishment.

Blank Check

Outside the Times Square venue, demonstrators rallied with Palestinian flags and placards denouncing US complicity. Inside, Harris tried to calm tensions when the crowd grew hostile to protesters, saying: "I understand your concern and how you feel, I think I do. And the reality of it is, where we are right now didn't have to be this way, in terms of the blank check that this president has given."

She also signaled support for progressive voices within the Democratic Party, praising New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who has openly condemned "Israel's" war. "You are bringing people in, and you are showing that there are voices that want to be heard, have felt left out, and are now a part of what you are doing. And that is so powerful," Harris said.

Complicity Questioned

Throughout the night, she directed harsh words at Trump, accusing him of suppressing dissent like "a communist dictatorship." Trump, for his part, lashed out on social media just hours earlier, mocking Harris as "DUMB AS A ROCK" and demanding an apology for her claim that the 2024 election was the closest of the century.

Though Harris avoided addressing her political future, the reactions in the hall reflected a larger divide: some attendees hoped she would run for president again, while others doubted whether America would ever allow a woman to lead. For many Palestinians and their allies, however, the real issue remains US complicity in the devastation of Gaza, and whether figures like Harris are willing to move from rhetoric to concrete action.