California state Sen. Scott Wiener found himself at the center of a political storm after two confrontations with anti-Israel activists went viral, drawing reactions from across the political spectrum and renewed attention to divisions over the war in Gaza.
According to Fox News, Wiener, a Democrat representing San Francisco who is running to succeed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Congress, was confronted during the city's Trans March at Dolores Park.
Video shared on social media showed demonstrators surrounding the lawmaker while shouting profanities and criticizing his views on Israel as he walked away from the crowd.
The footage spread quickly online, generating millions of views and prompting a wave of responses from conservative commentators, many of whom pointed to Wiener's long record as one of California's most progressive elected officials.
Several critics argued that Wiener was now facing hostility from activists despite taking positions they viewed as favorable to the political left.
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro wrote on X that Wiener was learning "the hard lesson" that activists would still target him despite his political positions.
Reality television personality Spencer Pratt also weighed in, while Charlie Kirk Show executive producer Andrew Kolvet and commentator Tim Pool criticized the California Democrat in separate social media posts.
The confrontation at the march was not the only recent incident involving Wiener.
Days earlier, another video showed the senator being confronted at a San Francisco bar while attempting to watch a World Cup match. That encounter also centered on his position regarding Israel and quickly circulated online.
Wiener's office later released a statement addressing both encounters, saying the senator had been "harassed, threatened, and physically intimidated" while attending public events.
"I have no objection whatsoever to anyone disagreeing with me, opposing me, or protesting me," Wiener said. "All of that is core to democracy."
He added that peaceful disagreement is part of public life, but argued there is a clear distinction when demonstrations become physical or intimidating.
"But when opposition and disagreement transition to harassment, including cornering me, touching me, or trying to physically bully me out of a public event, that crosses a line," Wiener said. "We're living in a time when violence is all too often threatened or used against people in public life. In San Francisco, we're better than that."
The incidents also renewed discussion about Wiener's evolving position on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
After previously stopping short of using the term, Wiener said earlier this year that he believes Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide.
Despite that shift, the recent confrontations suggest the issue continues to generate sharp criticism from activists on multiple sides of the debate.