A group of protesters against the Iran War made their presence known during Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s roundtable on Autonomous Warfare at the Association of the United States Army conference held on Wednesday.
In a planned action, six protesters interrupted Hegseth’s discussion at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The event is still in progress, and more disruptions could occur as it continues.
“Pete Hegseth, you’re a war criminal, you’re a Nazi,” shouted a male protester from the aisle, clearly visible to Hegseth. “You should be ashamed,” he yelled.
The Association of the United States Army conference is a yearly event in Washington, showcasing munitions and weapons manufacturers from around the globe.
This wasn’t Hegseth’s first encounter with anti-war activists. On April 30, he faced a protester from the organization CODEPINK during his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, who accused him of war crimes and criticized American military actions in Iran before being detained by Capitol Police, as per CODEPINK.
One protester repeatedly shouted, “You’re a war criminal,” as security removed him.
On July 21, another group of four protesters interrupted Hegseth during his testimony to the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he was advocating for billions in Pentagon funding while they called for an end to the Iran War. They were also removed and arrested, according to CODEPINK, which collaborated with other anti-war groups for the demonstration.
To prolong their protest, the demonstrators took turns interrupting the conference one by one.
Earlier, on October 7, President Donald Trump experienced similar disruptions at a campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas, where at least a dozen protesters interrupted his speech, resulting in some being escorted away by police. Trump paused during one disruption to address the Iran War.
Another protester, while being escorted out, shouted, “You’re sending more money to kill children in Gaza while children in America are starving.”
“All of you are supporting this war criminal,” another protester declared while being removed. “He is a war criminal! And you are all to blame.”
Hegseth was at the conference to join a panel discussing the future of autonomous warfare, focusing especially on the Pentagon’s initiatives to develop and use drones, robotic vehicles, and other unmanned systems. The session was titled “Project Agincourt: Building a Wartime Arsenal Ready to Adapt at the Edges,” according to the U.S. Army.
Joining Hegseth were Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, and Assistant Secretary of War Derrick Anderson, with the session moderated by Owen West, who leads Project Agincourt—a Pentagon initiative aimed at advancing the military’s adoption of autonomous weapons.
This initiative is part of a wider effort by the Pentagon to modernize U.S. military operations with the rapid development and deployment of autonomous weapons. On September 30, Hegseth revealed plans to create a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command, aiming to enhance the military’s integration of artificial intelligence, drones, and robotic systems, according to the Department of War.
