Protesters Heckle War Secretary Pete Hegseth at Army Conference, Citing Iran War
Demonstrators interrupted a panel discussion with shouts and insults before being removed by security.
Protesters repeatedly interrupted War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s appearance at the Army’s biggest annual conference on Wednesday, calling him a “war criminal” and a “coward” in protest of the Iran war.
At least five times in the first half hour of a panel, anti-war protesters shouted at Hegseth, using insults including “f–king Nazi.” Hegseth initially responded with chuckles and sarcastic remarks, but his reactions grew more irritated as he identified the interruptions as a “semi-coordinated” tactic by protesters emerging from the crowd in Washington, D.C.
One demonstrator shouted, “You’re not a warrior you’re a coward! Children in Gaza are starving! He is a war criminal!” Hegseth responded, “She thinks highly of me,” which drew brief applause from some attendees.
The demonstrators, who were spread throughout the room and waited several minutes between outbursts, were forcibly removed by event security. The Association of the U.S. Army released a statement acknowledging the disruptions, noting that attendees agree to a code of conduct upon registration and entry.
"The First Amendment right to protest is fundamental. However, everyone who registers to attend the Annual Meeting and enters the convention center does so after agreeing to abide by a code of conduct, so the protestors’ outbursts were certainly not appropriate during today’s forum,” the association stated. “The acting Army Secretary organized, and we were honored to host, a historic forum to discuss a critical issue that directly affects national security. We’re grateful for the swift action of security and the Metropolitan Police Department to ensure this important discussion could continue.”
The panel, which included acting Army Secretary Adam Telle, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, and Assistant Secretary for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict Derrick Anderson, focused on Project Agincourt. This initiative aims to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous weapons and military systems, including drones and robotics.
It remains unclear how the protesters obtained credentials to attend the AUSA event, which typically convenes Army leadership and defense contractors.