Nancy Pelosi was left hidden behind the Palestinian flag during her speech at Oxford University on Thursday as she was interrupted within minutes by student protesters.
Pelosi continued to speak despite the pro-Palestinian chants – organisers appeared to turn the former House Speaker’s microphone up to drown out the protests.
Police have since escorted the protesters out of the Oxford Union, according to a Daily Express reporter at the scene.
The former Speaker of the House and powerful figure in Democratic circles has been travelling in the UK and met with London Mayor Sadiq Khan while in the country.
On that meeting, Pelosi wrote on X: “Today, I was pleased to meet with Sadiq Khan to support his leadership and discuss his efforts to achieve a fairer and more equitable London for all.”
The Former Speaker of the House of Representatives – one of the most influential political positions in the US – stepped down from her position following the 2022 midterm elections in which Democrats narrowly lost the House.
The California Democrat, a pivotal figure in US history and perhaps the most powerful speaker in modern times, said she would remain in Congress as the representative from San Francisco, a position she has held for 35 years, when the new Congress convenes in January.
“I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” she said at the time. “For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect.”