Kamala Harris’ book tour kicked off in New York City on Sept. 24, but it didn’t go entirely as planned. The former vice president faced several interruptions from pro-Palestine protesters during the first stop of her multi-city tour for her memoir, “107 Days.”

The event, held at Manhattan’s Town Hall, drew nearly 1,500 attendees. At least three protesters interrupted Harris while she was on stage, with one shouting that she had “blood on her hands” over the Israel-Hamas war, according to USA Today. The crowd loudly booed the disruptions, and security escorted the protesters out. Outside of the venue, more than a dozen demonstrators gathered, which led to a heavier police presence in the area.

Harris used the moment to explain her stance on the war, suggesting that her position while serving as vice president wasn’t completely aligned with President Joe Biden’s administration. 

“People in our administration can tell you what my voice was in those rooms—in those closed rooms—in the Oval Office,” Harris told the audience. “I was not president. I couldn’t make the decisions, but I made my position clear.”

She continued: “I’m not president right now. There’s nothing I can do.” 

At one point, she spoke directly to the demonstrators: “I understand your concern and how you feel,” she said. “I think I do, I think I do. And the reality of it is, where we are right now didn’t have to be this way, in terms of a blank check that this president has given.” 

Harris highlighted her March 2024 speech from Selma, Alabama, where she called for a temporary cease-fire in Gaza for the first time. “I took a lot of heat from the administration for doing that,” she said, noting that some officials were unhappy she spoke “so forcefully and candidly” about the crisis.