People demonstrate during a protest near the annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner in Washington, U.S., April 27, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard

i24 News – Hundreds gathered on Saturday outside the White House in Washington DC, protesting Israel’s war in Gaza as the annual correspondents’ dinner kicked off. An evening, normally devoted to presidents, journalists and comedians taking pokes at political scandals and each other, this year appeared to illustrate the difficulty of putting aside the coming presidential election and the conflict in the Middle East.

“Shame on you!” rally participants draped in keffiyehs shouted to the attendees as they approached the event.

Demonstrators opposed the U.S. journalists’ alleged misrepresentation of the conflict: “Western media we see you, and all the horrors that you hide.”

President Biden opened his roast with a direct but joking focus on his predecessor and 2024 elections opponent Donald Trump, calling him “sleepy Don,” in reference to a nickname Trump had given the president previously. Biden’s ten-minute speech made no mention of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war or the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1784406625517736425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1784406625517736425%7Ctwgr%5E65cccf9e988e2cfd217d93a4d99b46f66fa0ef5a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.i24news.tv%2Fen%2Fnews%2Finternational%2Famericas%2Fartc-pro-palestinian-protesters-rally-outside-white-house-correspondents-dinner

One of the few mentions came from Kelly O’Donnell, president of the correspondents’ association, who briefly noted some 100 journalists killed in the Gaza war.

https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1784376493025513923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1784376493025513923%7Ctwgr%5E65cccf9e988e2cfd217d93a4d99b46f66fa0ef5a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.i24news.tv%2Fen%2Fnews%2Finternational%2Famericas%2Fartc-pro-palestinian-protesters-rally-outside-white-house-correspondents-dinner

In an evening dedicated in large part to journalism, O’Donnell also cited journalists who have been detained across the world, including Americans Evan Gershkovich in Russia and Austin Tice, who is believed to be held in Syria. Families of both men were reported in attendance as they have been at previous dinners.