Alec Baldwin clashes with 'Free Palestine' protester: 'Why did you kill that lady?'
Actor slaps agitator's phone away in viral exchange
Author of the article:Mark Daniell
Published Apr 24, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
Alec Baldwin was caught on camera getting into a tussle with “ambush interviewer” Crackhead Barney, who berated the actor as she demanded he say “Free Palestine” on video.
The Oscar nominee was at the cash register on the phone inside a New York City coffee shop when the troublemaker began to relentlessly harass him.
“Alec, can you please say ‘Free Palestine’ one time,” the far-left activist said. “Free Palestine, Alec, just one time, and I’ll leave you alone,” she continued. “I’ll leave you alone, I swear.”
In the midst of a phone call, the 30 Rock star initially didn’t engage, but the provocateur then brought up the October 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust, a movie Baldwin produced and stars in, calling him a “f—ing criminal.”
Baldwin allegedly discharged the firearm that took Hutchins’ life but has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. He’s set to go on trial this summer.
Earlier this month, Rust’s armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who supervised weaponry on set, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death.
“Why did you kill that lady? You killed that lady and got no jail time. No jail time, Alec. They’re putting innocent people in jail Alec Baldwin,” the agitator continued. “Just say Free Palestine one time … f— Israel, f— Zionism.”
Baldwin told Crackhead Barney to “get out” and asked an employee to call the police. As the nearly one-minute video came to an end, he then violently slapped the phone out of her hand.
Crackhead Barney shared a clip of their exchange on X, where it racked up nearly 13 million views by Wednesday morning.
“White devil Alec Baldwin attacked me. While I was trying to get coffee,” she captioned the video.
As the interaction went viral, X added a community note at the bottom of the clip that reads, “The person filming this video was not ‘trying to get coffee.’ They repeatedly and viciously harassed Alec Baldwin and refused to leave the establishment when asked to by the staff. There is also no evidence they were attacked.”
On social media, an overwhelming number of viewers praised Baldwin’s restraint.
“He should have just been left alone. Why do we need his opinion on Palestine and why would he give it after being accused him of murdering someone? Quick get your phone it’s Alec Baldwin let’s harass him real quick,” one person wrote on Reddit, with another adding, “These f—ing activists are the absolute worst. So smug and sanctimonious. Great restraint from Alec not to smack the s— out of that a–hole.”
When reached for comment, a publicist for Crackhead Barney told Entertainment Weekly that she hoped the incident would expose “double standards of society in the U.S.”
“My performance art and confrontational media is a statement about the double standards of society in the U.S. As the U.S. supports Israel in the genocide of Palestinians, here at home powerful people maintain a facade of politeness and dignity while we export death and terror around the world,” the statement reads. “Amid mass protests and public calls for an end to U.S. support of Israel, the entertainment industry has been largely silent, and in some cases, even supportive of Israel’s genocide. This cannot stand, and people deserve to be confronted with the horrors our nation funds and supports. I stand with the movement for Palestinian liberation and the end of the apartheid state of Israel as we know it. Free Palestine, end the occupation, end the settlements, and end U.S. Imperialism.”
The New York Post reported that as the scuffle continued onto the street, Crackhead Barney was heard saying Baldwin “assaulted me, I should press charges.”
The video comes after Baldwin became embroiled in a back-and-forth with a vocal group of anti-Israel protesters in December when they spotted him near a demonstration and tried to criticize him for supporting Israel in its war against Hamas.
As they took aim at the actor’s “tanking” career, Baldwin, 66, quickly fired back in footage that was livestreamed and went viral on social media.
One person could be heard yelling, “Whose pocket are you in?”
“I’m in Hollywood’s pocket, you say? You’ve already got your mind made up,” Baldwin responded. “You ask stupid questions,” he continued as his voice began to rise. “Ask me a smart question, and I’ll answer your question.”
The three-time Emmy winner gamely tried to keep his cool as protesters tried to engage with him.
“You’re not bigger than us because you’re white and rich,” one person could be heard saying, while others called the actor a “piece of s—” and told him to “go f— yourself.”
A third could be heard calling him a “murderer,” referencing the 2021 accident.
“You did kill someone though, right? You’re a murderer!” they yelled.
But as the crowd continued to jeer the Beetlejuice star, who was encircled by police officers, Baldwin told the antagonists, “Why don’t you shut the f— up? … You’re really helping your cause.”
“Your career’s tanking, by the way,” one man yelled as Baldwin exited the fray.
A source close to Baldwin told The Messenger that the actor “wasn’t out protesting” when the back-and-forth happened.
“Alec was on his way to volunteer to teach an acting class. He had no intention of going to the protest and was not involved in any way,” the insider said. “He was approached aggressively and repeatedly. The police stepped in to avoid further confrontation so he could make his way to the class safely.”
mdaniell@postmedia.com
Alec Baldwin’s scuffle with a loudmouthed anti-Israel agitator at a New York City coffee shop spilled out onto the sidewalk, new photos obtained by The Post show. An irate Baldwin, 66, was se…
nypost.com
Alec Baldwin was captured hitting a camera held by performance artist Crackhead Barney, who filmed the actor inside a cafe while repeatedly referencing the 'Rust' shooting and asking him to say 'free Palestine.'
ew.com
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmTheMainCharacter/comments/1cbgxhn/_/l0ykknu
Alec Baldwin was caught on camera getting into a tussle with "ambush interviewer" Crackhead Barney.
torontosun.com
