Protesters wanted to confront Vice President over her complicity in genocide, but were prevented from getting anywhere near Kamala Harris

Roughly 25 people were able to show up at the last minute to confront Kamala Harris over the Biden Administration’s complicity in genocide, along with enabling Israeli war crimes through US military aid and weapons.

I say last minute, because despite the fact that it was a week ago that the Vice President’s visit was announced, some details of the visit were only revealed on Thursday morning. WZZM 13 ran a short story, stating that Harris would be at Fountain St. Church and speaking at 12:30pm.

The Democratic Party continues to limit the amount of people who have access to these kinds of events, and Thursday’s event was no different. The event at Fountain St. Church was by invitation only, which meant it was only available for members of the Democratic Party establishment, which is often Democratic Party politicians and members with money. 

You can see from the photo here below, where the GRPD SWAT vehicle was used as a barricade, along with metal barricades and a tent that was set up to provide event more cover for those invited and those doing so-called security.

Those who were invited had to enter at the corner of Fountain Street and Ransom Avenue NE. There were several GRPD cops and cruisers, along with barricades and police tape at the intersection, with someone involved with the event who had list of names of people who could enter. 

Some of those who were invited that I saw go in were Grand Rapids City Commissioner Ysasi, State Representatives Rachel Hood and Phil Skaggs. 

If you have any doubts about what the real function of policing is in the US, you just had to show up today to the protest in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

In addition to the intersections that were barricaded off from the public, their were GRPD cruisers parked all around the perimeter of Fountain St. Church, cops with police dogs walking around and a group of cops on bicycles, which you can see here in the photo below.

The bike cops rode into one of the GRCC parking garages, only to re-appear about 30 minutes later, when they forced those protesting in solidarity with the Palestinians further south on Ransom. No doubt the Secret Service or Democratic Party invitees who didn’t appreciate being confronted, prompted the GRPD bike cops to aggressively move people away from the area where invitees were entering. One witness said the GRPD and the Secret Service did physically abuse some of the protesters, and put another protester up against a tree before telling them to move.  Ten minutes after protesters were moved by bike cops, the VP’s Black SUV came through the Fountain St/Ransom Ave intersection, with dozens of Michigan State Police cruisers following the Vice President’s car.

Interestingly enough, there were anti-abortion protesters on the east side of the Fountain St/Ransom Ave intersection, but they were not push further down the road, nor did the GRPD question their use of a sound amplification device, which has often led to arrests of left dissidents.

In the end, the Democratic Party made sure to insulate VP Harris from any dissenters who would challenge the administration’s unconditional support for Israel’s genocidal campaign against the Palestinians. The administration’s unconditional support for Israel’s war crimes could result in Biden losing the November election. And while Democratic Party loyalists will blame people for not voting for the Biden/Harris ticket, the Dems only have themselves to blame because they have endorsed genocide.

Editor’s note: Jack Prince provided information for this article.