Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez drew a large crowd of protesters on Wednesday during a town hall discussion in her New York district.
The event, held at a Boys and Girls Club in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, was meant to be a chance for Ocasio-Cortez to listen to her constituents as people were given a chance to say their piece.
However, the town hall turned a bit rowdy when the protesters began shouting her down.
Video of the event, shared by Freedom News TV, began with a man questioning AOC about special housing for LGBT individuals.
“That’s like racist against straight people,” the man said.
Others in the crowd disagreed with him, shaking their heads and saying “No, it’s not!” The congresswoman responded to his complaint by saying: “Sir, your sexual orientation has nothing to do with it.”
Things continued to escalate with her supporters and opponents verbally clashing.
WARNING: The following posts contain vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive.
Some in the crowd started chanting, “AOC has got to go,” to which Ocasio-Cortez responded by smiling and dancing while drinking water.
A few held signs, one of which read, “Wake up New York. Vote for Tina Forte. F*** AOC.” The Republican Forte is challenging AOC in New York’s 14th Congressional District race.
At one point, a woman can be heard shouting at Ocasio-Cortez, calling her a “sellout.” Event workers argued with her in the background.
Later, the congresswoman tried to calm protesters and engage in a conversation.
However, the lights went out, and security escorted AOC out of the dark room until they were turned back on.
“mam you are saying you ask us why, you’ve been talking for twenty minutes, we know why, we know why you are mad, let’s talk about it” AOC addresses the group disrupting the event “There are only two fkn genders” shouted a woman in response, crowd booed, then the lights went out pic.twitter.com/HjlVbrdJh9
— Oliya Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) October 20, 2022
“I’m not allowed to be in a room with the lights turned off,” she explained upon her return to the podium.
Protesters resumed their boos when she re-entered the room, with supporters chanting in response: “AOC, AOC.”
Is there hope for deep-blue districts?
Toward the end of the event, the congresswoman addressed a question about crime and public safety.
She said, “This past year, we worked with a community organization in the Bronx where there was enormous amount of spikes in violence.”
Ocasio-Cortez said a “small pilot group” was targeted for a response that would be shifted “out of the precinct and into a hospital.”
“What we did in the Bronx is that anyone who got admitted with a gunshot wound, a stab wound, etc., immediately got flagged for the Stand Up to Violence program,” she said. “And here’s what we did.
“We brought in only, not just a doctor to stitch the person up. We brought in a social worker. We brought in mentors. We brought in housing specialists. … We brought in psychiatrists. We brought in psychologists, all of that.”
“Here’s what we found. Here’s a fact: We reduced reoccurrence of crime by more than 50 percent,” she said to loud applause from the crowd, adding, “It was more effective than any policing intervention.”
At that, she ended the event.
Meanwhile, Forte, who has repeatedly called for AOC to engage in a debate with her, called out her opponent for skipping a forum in Jackson Heights on Wednesday.
I showed up to the community forum tonight in Jackson Heights. @AOC was a NO SHOW. #DebateMeAOC pic.twitter.com/ToQjj9JwdM
— Tina Forte for Congress (@TinaForteUSA) October 20, 2022
The general election will be held on Nov. 8.
