A group of pro-Palestine protesters interrupted a Friday event in Las Vegas where Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) was speaking and the senator had to be escorted out a back door. 

Near the end of the meeting, hosted by the nonpartisan group Hispanics in Politics at a Mexican restaurant, three women who appeared to be in their 20s or 30s and had sat through Rosen’s speech stood up and confronted her, asking why she “supports genocide” and continues to support billions of dollars in aid to Israel, referring to the war between Hamas and Israel that has resulted in thousands of deaths in the Gaza Strip after the terrorist group attacked and killed around 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7.

The meeting swiftly ended and attendees made their way out as one of the protesters continued yelling about the deaths the war has resulted in.

Before the disruption in the meeting, chants from about 10 protesters outside the building could be heard and the lights of a police vehicle could be seen through a window where the meeting was held in downtown Las Vegas. 

Rosen has been vocal about supporting Israel. She is Jewish and previously served as president of the Ner Tamid congregation, Nevada's largest synagogue. 

Rosen is running for re-election in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country. Asked for comment about the disruption, her office sent a statement noting that Rosen “believes the United States must support Israel as it eliminates Hamas while allowing for more humanitarian aid for innocent civilians in Gaza.”

Fernando Romero, president of Hispanics in Politics, said afterward that the meeting “was not ruined” by the protesters as it was closing up but that the yelling “frightened” the attendees. 

“They antagonized people so much that they frightened people, to the point that they were not hearing what they were protesting about,” he said. “Maybe next time hold down the tone and maybe people listen.”

Updated at 4:15 p.m. on 1/8/2024 to clarify the death toll of the Oct. 7 attack.