When an anti-war protester shouted in the middle of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on military intervention in Syria on Tuesday, Secretary of State John Kerry briefly revisited his days as a 27-year-old protester who vehemently opposed the U.S. war in Vietnam.
“Can I just say before — you know, the first time I testified before this committee when I was 27 years old, I had feelings very similar to that protester,” Kerry said. “And I would just say that is exactly why it is so important that we are all here having this debate, talking about these things before the country and that the congress itself will act representing the american people. I think we all can respect those who have a different point of view, and we do.”
Immediately after Kerry completed his planned remarks Tuesday, anti-war protester and Code Pink cofounder Medea Benjamin stood up and began shouting.
“We don’t want another war!” Benjamin shouted from the gallery. “Nobody wants this war — cruise missiles, launching cruise missiles means another war! The american people do not want this!”
Benjamin was escorted from the room by security.
Another Code Pink protester shouted similar anti-war sentiments just before the hearing began.
This post has been updated.
