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Brotester Grabs the Mic From Kamala Harris’s Hand, Women Everywhere Relate

A man stage-crashed Harris's panel at MoveOn’s Big Ideas Forum.

Kamala Harris speaks onstage at the MoveOn Big Ideas Forum at The Warfield Theatre on June 01, 2019 in San Francisco, California.

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It’s true what they say: behind every great woman speaking her mind is some white bro waiting in the wings to interrupt her. California Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris was a featured speaker at MovOn’s Big Ideas Forum in San Francisco, where she was discussing her big plan for equal pay for women. Harris was part of an all-day event that also featured candidates Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Julián Castro, and Kirsten Gillibrand.

In the midst of discussing equal pay, a protester crashed the stage and snatched the mic from Harris’s hand. Karine Jean-Pierre, MoveOn’s chief public affairs officer, immediately placed herself between Harris and the man, as Harris’s husband Douglas Emhoff and several staffers removed the man. Harris, who appeared unruffled, continued with her speech saying, “It’s all good, no worries.”. You can watch what happened below:

The man, Aidan Cook, is a 24-year-old animal rights activist with Direct Action Everywhere (DxE). He was removed from the premises but wasn’t charged with a crime (can’t imagine a person of color would receive the same treatment). MoveOn issued an apology to Harris, saying:

The incident lead to questions about security at the event, and about secret service protection for presidential candidates. It was also evocative of a larger social issue: white men who think their opinion is more important than women of color. Cook’s actions are peak white male entitlement, the “well actually” guy come to vivid life with a scraggly beard and a manbun, protesting that he’s being “respectful” while stealing the spotlight at a woman’s expense.

The incident was all too familiar for women everywhere, who have been interrupted and talked over by men their entire lives. Many people took to social media to express their anger and frustration, while others celebrated Karine Jean-Pierre’s fearless reaction:

Perhaps what’s most frustrating about this incident is the fact that all of the news coverage will about this dude and not about Harris’s policies. If you want to know more about where Harris stands on the issues, you can visit her campaign website.

(via HuffPost, image: Kimberly White/Getty Images for MoveOn)

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Author
Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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