A pro-Palestine protester disrupted a live broadcast of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in Chicago on Tuesday night, interrupting an interview between host Stephen Colbert and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The CBS late-night show is doing a week of live shows in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. During her interview with Colbert, a woman in the audience at the Auditorium Theatre shouted “Free Palestine!” and questioned U.S. support for Israel. The Hollywood Reporter was in the audience for the broadcast.
Before going to a commercial, Colbert acknowledged the protester and promised to ask Pelosi about it after the break, which he did. The host asked Pelosi her opinion on how the United States wields power abroad. Pelosi said she hopes cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas come to fruition and stressed the need for a two-state solution.
The congresswoman also said that “War has no place in a civilized society,” which prompted another protester to shout a question of why the U.S. government supplies arms to Israel. Colbert asked the protesters to listen to her answer, but when the shouting kept going, he said, “Please don’t interrupt my guests.” Pelosi’s segment ended shortly after.
Colbert also asked Jeffries about Gaza, but there were no further interruptions during the show. Sources say the protesters inside the theater left of their own accord, and the situation was handled peacefully.
As well as the protesters inside the theater, a group of protesters outside the theater chanting “Nancy, Nancy, you can’t hide” and drumming. Dozens of Chicago police officers arrived at the theater and asked the protesters to leave, saying they were on private property and would be arrested if they didn’t disperse. It appeared the protesters were moving away from the theater doors as a THR reporter exited the building.
The Auditorium Theatre is about three miles from the United Center, where the 2024 Democratic National Convention is taking place this week. In addition to Pelosi, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries was a guest on Tuesday’s show, and actress Laura Benanti reprised her recurring bit of playing Melania Trump.
Ahead of the DNC, organizers and Chicago police braced themselves for large scale protests around the convention hall. Security has been strict in and around the United Center. Late Tuesday night, about 70 people were arrested after clashing with police during a protest that began outside the Israeli consulate, according to the Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.
A larger protest march and rally that took place Monday was more peaceful, though police arrested a few people who tore down a fence at the outer security perimeter of the convention.