‘Why aren’t you in The Hague?’ should be protest meme of a generation, say users

Hours after journalist Sam Husseini shouted “Why aren't you in The Hague?” at US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a press briefing, social media users had turned it into a meme.

The phrase has been called “iconic” by many users, including Stephen Mc Everton, who said on X: “'Why aren’t you in The Hague?' should be a question we ask much more often.”

Similarly, user Nabil Al Tikriti said on X: “#WhyArentYouintheHague should be the protest meme of a new generation.”

Independent journalist Husseini was forcibly removed from a press conference in Washington on Thursday after he interrupted Mr Blinken's opening remarks and berated him over the country's policy on Gaza.

Video online, including one taken by The National, showed Husseini being dragged out by security staff after he demanded Mr Blinken answer questions about US support for Israel amid the war in Gaza.

“Criminal! Why aren’t you in The Hague?” Husseini can be heard shouting, in a reference to the International Criminal Court.

It was the second interruption during Mr Blinken's final briefing to reporters before he leaves office next week.

“I think Sam Husseini spoke on behalf of a lot of us to ask Blinken the questions that may not have reached his ears otherwise. The lack of urgency to promote and help establish a ceasefire all of these months is despicable and I consider Sam Husseini’s actions to be commendable and journalism in its truest form,” Harmeet Kaur, 32, who lives in Indiana and works for a student tour company, told The National.

User Suppressed News on X said this was the farewell Mr Blinken deserved for the US stance on Gaza.

US support for Israel has become a flashpoint issue in the 15 months since Hamas militants stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping another 250, sparking a violent and deadly response.

More than 46,700 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign in the densely populated enclave, according to local health authorities.

The departing administration of President Joe Biden, soon to be succeeded by president-elect Donald Trump, has been vocal about its “ironclad” support for Israel, including sending billions in aid.

Under Mr Biden, Washington refused to halt weapons shipments to Israel, despite the scale and scope of the deadly offensive in Gaza and mounting calls from a younger generation of Americans.

“I am disappointed with Biden’s administration for various reasons, but among all of those, I am most disheartened by how they handled their role as middleman in the genocide of the Palestinian people,” said Ms Kaur.

“The US has a long history of making decisions that has affected, and continues to affect, the geopolitical layout of much of the world. I feel that the Biden administration did not do due diligence towards their responsibility of being such a key player in mitigating this conflict.”

A 36-year-old food safety and nutrition consultant working in New York and Minnesota who asked not be named said: “While people here face homelessness, hunger, and neglect, it’s maddening that our money is taken by force but not used to support us. Tax dollars should build stronger communities, not fund destruction.”

Mulki Husein, 23, an IT graduate and model who lives in Arizona, agreed. “As a Somali American born and raised here, I wish more of those funds were directed towards development, and diplomacy that could help resolve conflicts particularly in regions like the Middle East and Africa, where conflicts have direct ties to my community.

“Domestically, I also hope tax dollars are better allocated to education, health care and social services, especially for underrepresented communities like mine who are of lower income backgrounds.”

Ms Kaur summarised it thus: “I’d like to see our voices and opinions as a society come to fruition more often through the use of our tax dollars.”