Thursday night’s ABC News debate was smooth sailing for the first two and a half hours, until a group of protesters heckled Vice President Joe Biden during his closing remarks.
“We’re going to clear the protesters now, just one minute,” ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos said. “We’re sorry.”
The chant, according to multiple accounts, was focused on immigration policy. The interruption lasted for more than 30 seconds.
CNN’s Democratic debate in Detroit in July was also interrupted multiple times by hecklers who protested about immigration and about the conduct of the New York City police department. Two protesters from an advocacy group, Movimiento Cosecha, chanted about deportations before being removed by security.
Thursday night’s debate was held at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas.
An ABC News spokesperson has not yet responded to a request for comment on the protesters.
