'You're a Genocide Supporter': Chelsea Handler's Virginia Show Interrupted by Pro-Palestine Protesters, One Arrested
April 20 2024, Published 12:00 p.m. ET
Chelsea Handler's comedy show at Richmond, Virginia's Altria Theater on Friday night was interrupted multiple times by pro-Palestinian protesters, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Several attendees were removed from the venue for disrupting the show, and ABC 8 News WRIC Richmond reports that one person was arrested.
"Palestinian babies — you're a genocide supporter!" one woman can be heard shouting at Handler in video footage from the event posted on social media.
"Oh honey, please. This is not what this night is for. Can you please remove her?" Handler said after one interruption. "Let's just wait until she goes out or loses her voice. I'm so sorry you guys," she added at another point.
"You guys should be this angry about genocide, not people standing up," another activist said after facing boos from the crowd. "Be angry about genocide and people dying. Children are dying with our tax dollars."
"Good, they should die," an audience member replied.
Footage also shows a woman being escorted out in handcuffs by multiple police officers as several others follow and film them.
"She was exercising her First Amendment rights. Why are you being this harsh?" one activist asked.
"Let her go, let her go," several more began chanting.
The Richmond Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Handler, who is Jewish, has spoken up multiple times to show support for Israel and condemn Hamas amid the ongoing conflict.
"I want to be clear that we are pro-Palestinian and anti-Hamas. And it is OK to question Israel's policies and still be pro-Israel," Handler said while appearing in a video with Israeli actress and Zionist activist Noa Tishby, who served in the Israel Defense Forces for several years.
"Progressives should love Israel," she continued, praising Israel for having free speech, gay weddings, freedom of press, freedom of religion, women's rights, and free and fair elections. "Israel is our greatest defense in the Middle East for all of Western democracy and Western values. If Israel goes down, guess who they're coming for next?"