WATCH: Pro-Palestinian Protesters Disrupt Victory Speech Of George Santos' Replacement

By Jennifer Wentworth | Thursday, 15 February 2024 01:45 AM
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WATCH: Pro-Palestinian Protesters Disrupt Victory Speech Of George Santos' Replacement

In a dramatic turn of events, former U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi, a Democrat from New York, was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters during his victory speech on Tuesday night.

Suozzi had just won a special election for a House seat previously held by Republican George Santos, who was expelled from Congress in December.

The protesters, waving Palestinian flags, disrupted the event with chants of "You support genocide," "Stop supporting genocide," and "Ceasefire now." This protest comes in the wake of the October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel, which led to a military response from Israeli forces. Amid the chaos, one protester was reportedly removed from the stage by security.

However, Suozzi's supporters managed to drown out the protesters, chanting "Suozzi! Suozzi! Suozzi!" in unison. The former congressman was projected to defeat his Republican opponent, county lawmaker Mazi Pilip, and reclaim his old position.

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Pilip, in a speech to his supporters, acknowledged his defeat. "I did call my opponent. I congratulated him," he said. "We are fighters. Yes, we lost. But it doesn't mean we're going to end here."

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In his victory speech, Suozzi addressed the accusations and attacks he had faced during the campaign. "Despite all the attacks and despite all the lies about Tom Suozzi and the squad, about Tom Suozzi being the godfather of the migrant crisis, about sanctuary Suozzi, despite the dirty tricks, despite the vaunted Nassau County Republican machine, we won," he declared.

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The district, located in Long Island, had been a Democratic stronghold for a decade before being won by Santos in the 2022 midterms. Santos, however, was expelled from the House less than a year into his tenure due to false claims about his background and multiple financial crime indictments.

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Throughout the campaign, Suozzi sought to link Pilip to Santos and former President Trump. Pilip, an Ethiopian Jew who fled to Israel to escape persecution and later served in the Israeli military before immigrating to the U.S., tried to associate Suozzi with President Biden and the ongoing illegal immigration crisis.

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The race attracted significant national attention and funding from both Republicans and Democrats, given the GOP's slim majority in the House. The key issues in the suburban New York City district were immigration and border security, crime, and abortion.

Following Suozzi's victory, the Republican majority in the House will decrease to 219-213.

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