The Hill News

President Obama was disrupted twice by protesters during a speech at a Democratic party fundraiser on Wednesday night in New York City, in both cases addressing the demonstrators directly.

Obama was speaking at a joint fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) at the Roosevelt Hotel. Shortly after the president began at 6:45 p.m., a woman yelled to him, "President Obama, President Obama," while the men she was with held up signs that said "Broken Promises Kill," and "No retreat, fund AIDS," according to a pool report.

{mosads}Obama paused his remarks to address the demonstrators. "Apparently you're interested in funding AIDS ... We have increased aids funding," he said before continuing with his stump speech.

When the woman shouted again, Obama replied "We listened to you, we heard your point . . . It's a conversation I'm happy to have."

Minutes later, across the room another protester disrupted the president, this time on the topic of the military's "Dont Ask, don't tell" policy on gays serving openly in the military. A vote that would have brought up legislation repealing the policy failed in the Senate this week.

"Don't ask don't tell," a man yelled twice, forcing the president to pause his speech again. The friendly crowd helped to drown the man out with chants of "Obama, Obama," reminiscent of 2008 campaign rallies.

Earlier this year, Obama was interrupted at two different fundraising events by gay rights activists protesting inaction on the "Don't ask, don't tell policy."

A person nearby also tried grab the signs from the AIDS protesters.

Now, interrupted twice, Obama addressed the demonstrators as a whole, saying,"That's why we need your energy and enthusiasm. This young lady here, she wants an increase in AIDS funding ... I'm sure we could do more, if we're able to grow this economy again. That young man shouted, 'Don't ask, don't tell' . . . As president, I said we would reverse it ... "

According to a press release issued moments after the first disruption, the AIDS protesters were a group of activists upset at what they perceive to be a failure by the Obama administration to "make a concrete commitment of US funding to the Global Fund on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria."