Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Sharpton accuses pro-Palestinian demonstrators of cowardice for interrupting Jeffries at NYC convention
By
Michelle Bocanegra
Published Apr 13, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
By
Michelle Bocanegra
Published Apr 13, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Rev. Al Sharpton decried a group of demonstrators protesting Israel’s offensive in Gaza after they shouted down House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during a Saturday morning speech at the National Action Network convention.
“We had ... the governors, three governors, all kinds of white officials. And none of you paid rent-a-Toms disrupted them,” Sharpton said, repeating a racially loaded insult he’s often used in the past.
Protesters shouting about "aid to Israel" and the death toll in Gaza interrupted Jeffries multiple times inside the Sheraton Times Square Hotel, where the convention has been underway this week. It’s unclear if the demonstrators were invited to the convention, but they began shouting shortly after Jeffries took the podium.
The ongoing war in Gaza has riven both state and national Democrats. The party has a history of supporting Israel, but its left flank has held unceasing protests over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Sharpton and his National Action Network are a crucial ally for Democrats locally and nationally and are frequently to the left of mainstream Democrats on issues such as criminal justice. But Sharpton was an early defender of Israel in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.
Jeffries, who is in line to be the next Democratic House speaker, has had the backing of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee for years. He released a statement this week supporting Biden's call for a "negotiated resolution" to the conflict that "lays a foundation for a just and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinian people."
“I appreciate folks exercising their First Amendment rights, but we’re not in session in Washington,” Jeffries said on Saturday, pausing between interruptions. “So I’ve got all day.”
After introducing Jeffries, Sharpton returned to the podium to admonish the protesters.
“You got guts when a Black man stand up. We had Biden here, you had nothing to say. You're a bunch of rented Uncle Toms," Sharpton said. The president addressed the convention virtually on Friday.
Jeffries has defended progressive members of his caucus with deeply critical views of the Israel-Hamas war, including Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who faces a serious primary threat from AIPAC-backed Westchester County Executive George Latimer.
Jeffries recently endorsed Bowman, making him the highest-ranking Democrat in Washington to weigh in on the closely watched primary.
Andy Eichar, a spokesperson for Jeffries, did not directly comment on Sharpton’s remarks, but said in a statement that “the comments made by Leader Hakeem Jeffries at the National Action Network rally speak for themselves.”
Spokespeople for the National Action Network and Bowman's campaign did not immediately return requests for comment.
Tagged
hakeem jeffries
new york city
al sharpton
Politics
Michelle Bocanegra
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .