January 1, WATCH: Ocasio-Cortez’s Townhall Overrun with Angry Protesters

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY…
1981: U.S. national debt hits $1 trillion.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-N.Y.) town hall event was derailed by a group of angry protesters calling for her removal.

The 33-year-old lawmaker is up for re-election in November, running against her Republican challenger Tina Forte, who owns a local business. Video of the event, which took place in Queens, shows protesters chanting “AOC has got to go” and holding up signs denouncing the far-left congresswoman.

“Wake up New York. Vote for Tina Forte. F–k AOC,” one sign read.

“Very classy. Thank you, sir,” Ocasio-Cortez said, indicating the sign.

Ocasio-Cortez eventually tried to reason with the crowd, attempting to open a dialogue.

“Respectfully, ma’am, you’re saying, ‘Ask us why’ — Y’all have been talking for 20 minutes, okay? We know why. We know why you’re mad,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Let’s talk about it.”

The congresswoman’s plea was unsuccessful, the New York Post noted, as a protester responded with obscene remarks.

Later on, the lights in the auditorium went out, prompting a member of Ocasio-Cortez’s security detail to escort her from the stage. She returned after the lights came back on, about one minute later.

“I’m not allowed to be in a room with the lights turned off,” she said.

An AOC spokesperson was dismissive of the protesters, telling the New York Post that the demonstrators “are part of a far-right wing group that regularly protests at vaccine clinics, against LGBTQ rights, etc. They were not constituents.”

Watch a full video of the incident below.