Anti-Israel protesters on Thursday swarmed former Republican presidential primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as he crossed Union Park in Chicago, just blocks from the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
“Racist go home! Racist go home!”, the demonstrators shouted at Ramaswamy.
One of the activists told Ramaswamy he has “no right to be here” unless he calls out Israel over “genocide” in Gaza.
“Well, the good news is we’re in America, so we all get to express ourselves peacefully,” Ramaswamy replied, to which the activist said, “You get to express being a racist, Zionist pig?”
Ramaswamy then said, “I believe in your right to speak mind” and walked away, as the protesters continued to chant, “Racist go home!”
According to The New York Post, among those who accosted Ramaswamy was the performance artist known as “Crackhead Barney”, an anti-Israel activist who in the past has harassed actor Alec Baldwin and film director Quentin Tarantino, who is married to Israeli singer Daniella Pick.
On Tuesday, anti-Israel protesters gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate in downtown Chicago, where they clashed with police and burned American flags. Several were arrested.
In one of the anti-Israel protests in Chicago this week, a man wearing a mask was seen carrying a Nazi flag.
Ramaswamy was one of the many candidates who sought the Republican presidential nomination, but dropped out of the race after a disappointing showing in the Iowa caucuses.
During the first Republican primary debate, Ramaswamy stated his desire to end US military aid to Israel by 2028, assuming that additional peace deals are reached with the Arab and Muslim world by that time.
Following the debate, Ramaswamy walked back his comments about Israel and stated that he would not cut aid to the Jewish State unless Israel said it no longer needed US aid. In an interview with Israel Hayom, he stated that America's aid to Israel benefits the US.