Republican Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana and the conservative influencer behind the “Libs of TikTok” account on X faced harassment from pro-Palestinian protesters at an event Monday.
Banks and Chaya Raichik were the featured guests at a pizza lunch hosted by the College Republicans of Indiana University at Bloomington, and the event proceeded despite threats from Antifa, according to a post on X by the group. Video of the event shows protesters shouting at Banks and Raichik, accusing the congressman of “killing children.”
“Despite numerous attempts to SHUT DOWN the event, College Republicans SUCCESSFULLY hosted Jim Banks and Chaya Raichik today!” the group posted on X.
WATCH:
“Jim Banks has killed children!” one protester shouted in a video provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“You’re a traitor to the working class!” the protester shouted in another video as a police officer intervened. “You are killing children.”
WATCH:
@RepJimBanks and @libsoftiktok standing up up to unhinged protestors at IU. #Trump2024 pic.twitter.com/KnzVCE5jUp
— Carlin Yoder (@carlinyoder) April 1, 2024
“These radical, anti-American activists have the right to free speech even if they hate the country that allows them that right,” Banks said in a statement provided to the DCNF. “We won’t be intimidated.”
Raichik had reported about the threats in a post on the Libs of TikTok account Monday, including a screenshot of a post on social media from a pro-Palestinian group at Indiana University. A local Antifa chapter called for the event to be targeted, telling followers “you know what to do,” the Post-Millenial reported.
Raichik earlier trolled the FBI’s Indianapolis field office about the threats in a post on the Libs of TikTok account.
“@FBIIndianapolis Antifa is threatening me and a sitting congressman @Jim_Banks,” she posted. “When you’re done chasing down grandmas who waived American flags on Jan 6th, can you please look into this?”
Banks also defied the threats before the event. “Antifa is not happy that I will be joining @libsoftiktok founder @ChayaRaichik10 today at Indiana University. They called us ‘far right bigots’ and have called for violence against us,” Banks posted. “My message to Antifa is simple: we will not be intimidated and the event will go on.”