The annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner took place this year with President Biden delivering a roast of his rival, former President Donald Trump. However, the event was overshadowed by protests outside the venue over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and criticism of the Western media’s coverage of the conflict. Despite the protests, the speakers inside the event only made passing mentions of the war, with Biden’s speech not addressing the conflict or the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Protesters outside the event accused U.S. journalists of underreporting the war and misrepresenting it. They chanted slogans condemning the Western media for hiding the horrors of the conflict. Some protesters even staged dramatic demonstrations, such as lying motionless on the pavement next to mock-ups of flak vests with “press” insignia. The rally was filled with cries of “Free, free Palestine” and cheers when a Palestinian flag was unfurled from a top-floor hotel window in the Washington Hilton.
Criticism of the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has been growing, especially on college campuses where students are advocating for divestment from Israel. Counterprotests in support of Israel have also emerged, with accusations of antisemitism. Biden’s motorcade took an alternate route to the event venue to avoid the crowd of demonstrators. Inside the event, entertainers like Colin Jost from “Saturday Night Live” and celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and Jon Hamm were in attendance.
The president of the correspondents’ association highlighted the important work of journalists but acknowledged the complex moment for the nation. Journalists across the world, including Americans, have been imprisoned, and some have been killed in conflicts like the one between Israel and Hamas. Biden’s roast of Trump touched on their differences and the stakes of the upcoming election, warning about the consequences of another Trump administration. Security measures were heightened to ensure the safety of attendees and to protect demonstrators’ right to assemble.
Protest organizers aimed to draw attention to the high number of Palestinian and Arab journalists killed by Israel’s military during the war. A letter from journalists in Gaza called on their colleagues in Washington to boycott the dinner, citing the dangers they face while reporting in conflict zones. The Committee to Protect Journalists released a report on the journalists killed during the Gaza war, emphasizing the importance of defending the truth. Advocacy groups criticized the media executives attending the event for dining with Biden while ignoring the plight of journalists in Gaza. The protests highlighted the tension between the glitzy event and the serious conflicts and humanitarian crises happening around the world.
