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‘War Criminal’: Iran War Protestors Scream At Hegseth While Dragged Out Of Event

‘War Criminal’: Iran War Protestors Scream At Hegseth While Dragged Out Of Event

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (Screenshot/Fox News)

Francis Kapper
October 14, 2026 10:59 AM ET

Multiple Iran War protesters have crashed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s Wednesday roundtable on Autonomous Warfare at the Association of the United States Army conference.

In a coordinated effort, six different protestors took turns interrupting Hegseth’s panel at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The roundtable is currently ongoing, and there may be more protestors as the event continues to unfold.

“Pete Hegseth, you’re a fucking war criminal, you’re a Nazi,” a male protestor yelled while in the middle aisle of the event, in full view of Hegseth. “You should be ashamed, he screamed.”

The Association of the United States Army conference is an annual event held in Washington that showcases munitions and weapons manufacturers worldwide.

The confrontation was not Hegseth’s first encounter with anti-war demonstrators. On April 30, a protester affiliated with the anti-war organization CODEPINK interrupted Hegseth’s testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, accusing him of war crimes and condemning American military operations in Iran before being arrested by Capitol Police, according to CODEPINK.

“You’re a war criminal,” one protester screamed repeatedly while being dragged out by security.

Four additional protesters interrupted Hegseth’s testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 21, demanding an end to the Iran War as the secretary sought billions in additional Pentagon funding. The demonstrators were removed and arrested, according to CODEPINK, which organized the demonstration alongside other anti-war groups.

Protesters took turns interrupting the conference, one at a time, to extend the duration of their protest.

President Donald Trump also faced repeated interruptions during an Oct. 7 campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas, where at least a dozen demonstrators disrupted his remarks and some were escorted out by police. Trump briefly stepped away from the microphone during one interruption and addressed the ongoing Iran War during the event, the Associated Press reported.

“You’re sending more money to kill children in Gaza while children in America are starving,” another unnamed protester screamed while being dragged out by security.

“All of you are supporting this war criminal,” a protestor screamed while security removed her from the room. “He is a war criminal! And you are all, all, to blame.”

Hegseth attended the conference to participate in a panel examining the future of autonomous warfare, particularly the Pentagon’s efforts to develop and deploy drones, robotic vehicles and other unmanned military systems. The discussion was titled “Project Agincourt: Building a Wartime Arsenal Ready to Adapt at the Edges,” according to the U.S. Army.

Hegseth was joined by Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink and Assistant Secretary of War Derrick Anderson. The discussion was moderated by Owen West, who oversees Project Agincourt, a Pentagon initiative focused on accelerating the military’s adoption of autonomous weapons, according to the Army.

The initiative is part of a broader Pentagon effort to modernize American warfare by rapidly developing, purchasing and deploying autonomous weapons. Hegseth announced plans Sept. 30 to establish a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command, designed to expand the military’s use of artificial intelligence, drones and robotic systems, according to the Department of War.

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