Anti-war protesters disrupt Hegseth's remarks at army event

• At least five anti-war protesters repeatedly interrupted War Secretary Pete Hegseth during his headline panel
• Demonstrators called Hegseth a "war criminal" over Iran and Gaza before security and police removed them.
• Hegseth dismissed the interruptions, reiterating "Iran really will never have a nuclear weapon," while AUSA cited conduct violations.
• The disruptions occurred as Hegseth discussed Project Agincourt, the Pentagon's rapid autonomous weapons initiative.

US War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s headline appearance at the Association of the US Army (AUSA) annual conference was repeatedly derailed on Wednesday by anti-war protesters shouting profanities, calling him a "war criminal" and a "coward," and condemning the ongoing conflict with Iran.

At least five individual demonstrators dispersed throughout the audience interrupted the first half-hour of the panel at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Protesters launched verbal outbursts every few minutes, shouting insults including calling the Pentagon chief a "f*cking Nazi."

"You’re not a warrior, you’re a coward!" one protester screamed at Hegseth. "Children in Gaza are starving! He is a war criminal!"

Hegseth initially brushed off the interruptions with chuckles and sarcastic remarks, at one point quipping, "She thinks highly of me," which drew brief applause from conference attendees.

However, as the pattern continued, Hegseth grew noticeably irritated, describing the disruptions as a "semi-coordinated" tactic.

"Appears we have a bit of a tactic," Hegseth remarked as the interruptions persisted. Addressing the demonstrators' anti-war slogans, he added, "The protesters are spouting off slogans, Iran really will never have a nuclear weapon."

Security removal

Event security personnel and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department forcibly removed the demonstrators from the hall.

At least one female protester had to be physically carried out by multiple officers as she continued screaming anti-war slogans.

Following the incident, the Association of the US Army issued a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the breaches:

"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," AUSA 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."

It remains unclear how the protesters obtained official credentials to gain access to the AUSA convention, an event typically attended by high-ranking military officials and defense industry contractors.

The panel featured 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 Evans. As the outbursts continued, speakers stopped pausing and spoke over the noise.

The discussion centered on Project Agincourt, the Pentagon's initiative aimed at accelerating the development, procurement, and battlefield integration of military drones, robotics, and autonomous weapons systems.