A live episode of CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert from Chicago on Tuesday night was interrupted as protests spilled into the Auditorium Theatre. Colbert was interviewing former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi when outbursts were heard from the audience, leading the host at one point to admonish, “Please don’t interrupt my guests.” (See video below.)
As Pelosi was talking about her new book, The Art of Power, a woman could be heard shouting from the audience. Colbert explained, “For the people at home who can’t tell, there’s a protest going on in the audience right now. Hold on young lady, I can hear you. We’re actually at a commercial break but the subject is on Israel and Palestine, and if you’ll have a seat, we have to go to a commercial break and when we come back I will ask the next question I had on that subject, if you will listen.”
After the break, Colbert asked Pelosi about “the proper use of American power” overseas. “If the goal is the peaceful and prosperous future for both Israel and Palestinians, what role does the United States play?”
Pelosi responded with a quote from John F Kennedy, “‘To the countries of the world, ask not what America can do for you, but what we can do working together for the freedom of mankind’ and that is our mission,” she said. “Yes, we’ve had a commitment to Israel, that’s been in our security interest to do so. Israel was attacked by a terrorist organization. We want the hostages freed, but we don’t want children killed in Gaza, so we have to come up with a solution.”
She continued as outbursts could still be heard from the audience, “War has no place in a civilized society… We have to learn more about trust and peace and learning about each other rather than to have a conflict by war.”
Said Colbert, “As you can see from the continuing protest out here, that answer is unsatisfying to some people.”
Colbert pressed Pelosi on protesters complaints. “They’ve said the United States should not have any role in supplying Israel with arms to kill the people of Gaza.”
Responded Pelosi, “Israel has a right to defend itself… But the other part of it that has been so major for all of us for so many years is that there must be a two-state solution. We cannot have peace unless there’s a two-state solution…. Unless you have a two state solution, we’ll not have a resolution of this.”
Outbursts resumed as Pelosi spoke, prompting Colbert to admonish the audience, “Please don’t interrupt my guests.”
The Late Show is based in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention this week.
As Deadline has previously reported, there were expectations that protests, particularly over the war in Gaza, would be a part of the week. The Democratic National Committee, the Secret Service and the Chicago Police have spent months plotting out designated protest areas.
On Monday, thousands of demonstrators took part in a mostly peaceful protest near the DNC. Several were arrested when dozens broke through a security fence around the Chicago venue, the BBC reported.
On Tuesday, per the AP, multiple pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested after clashing with police during a protest that began outside the Israeli consulate and spilled onto the surrounding streets.