Objects Thrown at Biden as Protesters Confront Him Outside Trinity College Dublin
Former President Joe Biden was confronted by pro-Palestinian protesters in Ireland on Tuesday, with objects thrown toward him as he left Trinity College Dublin.
Biden, 83, made a surprise appearance at the college with former first lady Jill Biden for a ceremony honoring their son Hunter Biden, who received the Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Public Discourse, according to The Independent.
As the Bidens left, protesters gathered outside threw objects, including milk cartons, toward the former president. One object was blocked by an umbrella near Biden as he was rushed into a waiting vehicle. Irish police arrested at least two people, the New York Post reported.
Video posted online showed officers holding back protesters and detaining people as the crowd shouted at Biden. Some protesters appeared to try to rush the motorcade.
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'Blood on Your Hands'
"Blood, blood, blood on your hands!" the crowd chanted, and shouts of "Genocide Joe" rang out as Palestinian flags flew.
After the motorcade pulled away, protesters turned on the officers who remained outside, chanting, "Shame on you!"
The confrontation was the latest sign of the anger Biden still faces from the pro-Palestinian left over his support for Israel after the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel.
Israel responded with a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, where the fighting killed and displaced Palestinian civilians and fueled years of protests against Biden.
In November 2023, Time magazine said Biden was "Turning Out to Be America's Most Pro-Israel President Ever." Yet many on the left continued to accuse him of enabling Israel's war in Gaza by continuing to send military aid.
Biden traveled to Israel less than two weeks after the attack and also announced humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, while his administration pressed Israel to allow more aid into Gaza.
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Hunter Biden's Award
The ceremony itself raised eyebrows. According to The University Times, Trinity's student newspaper, Hunter Biden was honored by the College Historical Society, whose auditor, Jane Freyer, said he had been "a topic of debate" and that his "personal struggle" had been "co-opted" and "exploited" by the media.
In accepting the award, Hunter Biden took aim at President Donald Trump. "[He] stood on a debate stage and made my addiction his attack line," he said. "We are living in an age of bullies."
A Busy Week for Biden
The incident came as Biden promotes his memoir, "Promise Me, America." In an interview with PEOPLE magazine, he said he would not have run for reelection had he known about his cancer diagnosis.
"I don't think an 80-year-old man with cancer should be running" for president, Biden said. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer after leaving office in January 2025.
His bid for a second term collapsed after a disastrous June 2024 debate against Trump. He dropped out on July 21, 2024, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump that November. In the PEOPLE interview, Biden downplayed the debate's role. "To me, it was not very consequential," he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Biden's office for comment on the Dublin confrontation.