Biden Delivers Speech at Correspondents' Dinner as Protesters Criticize Support for War

US President Joe Biden delivered a speech during the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents' Association, against the backdrop of protests against his support for the war waged by Israel against the Hamas in Gaza.

Security measures were strengthened on Saturday in Washington before the dinner, which was being organized despite an opposition demonstration and a call to boycott this annual event due to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

A large number of prominent guests, journalists and celebrities had arrived in the federal capital at a time when about a hundred demonstrators gathered near the entrance. Some waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans such as “Your hands are stained with blood.” A Palestinian flag, several meters long, was hung from one of the hotel windows. Other demonstrators gathered below, carrying signs or loudspeakers.

On Saturday, the political officials and journalists participating in the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, led by Biden, will face a host of questions about the fate of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

In an open letter, a large number of Palestinian journalists calling for a boycott of this annual event wrote, “You bear a special responsibility to tell the truth to the powerful and support journalistic integrity. It is unacceptable to remain silent, either out of fear or for reasons related to the profession, at a time when journalists continue to be arrested, tortured, and killed in Gaza just because they are doing their job.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists, based in New York, says that at least 97 journalists have been killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, including 92 Palestinians. At least 16 others were injured.

The movement wrote on its website, “The U.S. media repeats anti-Palestinian narratives and ignores Israeli war crimes.”

U.S. President Joe Biden, U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, host Colin Jost and Kelly O'Donnell attend the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, U.S., April 27, 2024. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks with Kelly O'Donnell as they attend the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, U.S., April 27, 2024. REUTERS/Tom Brenner