US President Joe Biden, who is focused on defending women’s right to abortion, saw yesterday, Tuesday, one of his first major election rallies repeatedly interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke in Virginia, an ambivalent state, on abortion, an issue that has proven to bring voters to the polls as they seek to prevent Republicans from imposing restrictions on that right for women.

The crowd cheered for Biden, but it wasn’t entirely friendly. Several interruptions forced the US president to pause his speech or try to speak over voices calling for a “truce now”, or calling him “Joe the Genocide” over his support for Israel in its war on Gaza.

Some of the protesters were escorted out of the room where Biden was speaking, but boos continued. The US president continued to speak, though he warned those in attendance that the holiday would continue. “It will take some time. They have predicted everything,” commented the 81-year-old.

At the same time, his supporters shouted “Four more years!” and “Let’s go Joe!”, in an attempt to drown out the voices of the protesters.

This is not the first time that Biden has been publicly criticized for his stance on the war between Israel and Hamas. His unwavering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dented the Democrat’s popularity among young voters and other war opponents, which could prove crucial in swing states like Michigan.

Biden used his speech in Manassas, Virginia, to attack his rival Donald Trump, the favorite to win the Republican presidential nomination, over his stance on abortion.

“Donald Trump is the reason (American women) were denied a fundamental right,” she said, referring to the Republican former president’s appointment of three conservative justices to the Supreme Court.

This Court overturned in the summer of 2022 its previous decision that protected at the national level women’s right to abortion.

In addition, the American president accused the 77-year-old billionaire and his supporters of wanting to limit women’s access to abortion even more “at any cost”.

Democrats hope the issue will help re-elect Biden. Most polls, including one by Reuters/Ipsos in July, show that a majority of American voters oppose presidential candidates who want to place strict restrictions on abortion.