(Source: MIRS.news, Published 08/07/2024) (ROMULUS) – During the third stop of the Harris-Walz Battleground States Tour, Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris was interrupted by pro-Palestine protestors chanting that they “won’t vote for genocide.” 

At least 10 people had fainted throughout the afternoon and evening, which brought numerous pauses from pre-program speakers that then directed medics to where they were needed. Harris didn’t address the shouting from protestors right away and continued with her prepared remarks as the chanting continued. 

“You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking,” Harris said, which was met with perhaps the loudest applause of the night. 

Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz said that (with 15,000 attendees) he was told this is the largest rally of the campaign so far. 

But just because voters are turning out in droves for Harris in Detroit doesn’t mean her approach to the war between Gaza and Israel is popular. 

Colin Wiebrecht, a 29-year-old Dearborn Heights resident and field director for U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit)’s primary campaign, spoke on behalf of himself as an attendee of the rally and said he doesn’t think he would have attended an event like this if Joe BIDEN was still the nominee. 

“There wasn’t that excitement, and I really had a lot of disagreements with him on things like the uncommitted movement. At the end of the day, I was planning to vote for him if he was on the ticket,” Wiebrecht said. 

Wiebrecht said voting for Biden would have been harm reduction. In his opinion, the President would have caused the least harm to the communities Wiebrecht cares about, and he’s still waiting to hear Harris’ approach on some issues before he says he’s out of a harm reduction mindset and is voting out of motivation instead.  

Wiebrecht said he was encouraged by Harris’ choice of Walz as running mate given that his state saw a push to vote “uncommitted” rather than for President Joe Biden in the presidential primary, and he thinks Walz spoke respectfully about those voters. 

“Her choice of Tim Walz shows that she is someone who would be willing to change the conversation when it comes to Gaza and Palestine,” Wiebrecht said. 

Harris and Walz emphasized union labor, abortion and fertility treatments, gun control and affordable housing and healthcare during their rally. 

Walz said that in Minnesota, the motto is “mind your own damn business,” which he applied to Republicans that would enact and enforce abortion bans and book bans. The crowd was quiet when Walz told the story of his family going through in-vitro fertilization, until he said his daughter was named Hope, and the crowd erupted with cheers.  

Harris said she also brought well wishes from the President. 

Harris said through her career as a district attorney and attorney general, she took on one of the largest for-profit colleges that scammed students, specialized in sexual abuse cases and held Wall Street banks accountable for fraud. 

“Trust me when I say, I know Trump’s type,” Harris said. 

The event was held in an airplane hangar, similar to the format Trump uses. Harris and Walz leaned into the enthusiasm their ticket has gathered to stand in contrast with the more intimate roundtables with local leaders and voters that the Biden-Harris ticket led.  

Three hours before Harris and Walz spoke, local radio DJs energized the crowd with LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” Beyoncé’s “Run The World (Girls)” and Danzel’s “Pump It Up." Trump’s rally playlist usually consists of live versions of the most popular songs of all time like Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” “Phantom of the Opera,” Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless The U.S.A.” and Village People’s “Macho Man.” 

Pre-program speakers include Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing), U.S. Reps Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn), Dan Kildee (D-Flint), Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids), Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) and Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans and United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain. 

Republicans lined up throughout the day with some counter-attack messaging. 

"We’re not going to talk about couches or coconuts or whatever weird fetish KamalaHQ is into. When we have something to say, we’ll say loud and clear. If Kamala is a coward, we’ll call her a coward. If Tim Walz is a liar, we’ll call him a liar," said Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung. 

U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Caledonia) specifically cited Harris’ tie-breaking votes as President of the Senate that advanced the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in 2021 and the $1 trillion Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.  

“Vice President Harris is responsible for trillions of dollars in wasteful spending and the painful inflation hurting Michigan families. Parents and seniors are struggling to make ends meet, and they see the results of her failures every time they pay their bills or go to the grocery store,” Moolenaar said.