A person is removed from the guest area as he shouts pro-Palestinian slogans while Sen. Cory Booker speaks to supporters during a campaign event on April 13, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. Image by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

(JTA) — Pro-Palestinian activists interrupted the “hometown kickoff” for the presidential campaign of Sen. Cory Booker.

Booker, D-N.J., held the event in Newark, New Jersey, where he served as mayor from 2006-2013.  It was the launch of what he is calling his

The rally on Saturday kicked off a two-week national tour for Booker, titled “Justice For All.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The pro-Palestinian protesters picked up on the theme, shouting “Justice for Palestine,” according to reports. They waved Palestinian flags and keffiyahs, a traditional Arab headdress.

“You say ‘Justice For All’ and he named, you know, clean water, housing, affordable health care, freedom but he doesn’t … talk about Palestine. They’re struggling just as much as us here — even more,” Wajeeh Abushawish, who was part of the group, told Yahoo News.

The protesters were part of the Students for Justice for Palestine chapter at Rutgers Newark campus.

Booker met with some of the protesters after the event.

Booker is a co-sponsor of a Senate bill that would penalize businesses that comply with Israel boycotts.

He announced his presidential bid in late January.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount