'Abandon Biden' protest group standing by rejection of president during Michigan visit

Abandon Biden effort continues as Biden returns to Michigan

It's no longer the presidential primary but a familiar protest against Joe Biden persists in Michigan. The Abandon Biden effort, which cast a mostly-symbolic 'uncommitted vote' during the previous election is still arguing a vote for the president is a vote for continued war between Hamas and Israel.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The protest group that argued against Joe Biden as U.S. president during the primary in February hasn't stopped calling to oust him from achieving another term.

On Friday, as the president returned to Michigan ahead of a high-stakes time span for his campaign in which he is striving to convince Democrats he is the right man for the job, the "Abandon Biden" group was out in force.

They held signs and made sure those traveling to watch Biden speak on Detroit's west side were aware of where they stood ahead of November.

"We could never stand behind a president who pursues genocide and bloodshed and looks at us in silence," said Hassan Abdel Salam, founder of Abandon Biden movement.

Born out of discontent and anger over Biden's lack of urgency for ending conflict between Hamas and Israel that has led to tens of thousands of deaths in the Gaza Strip, it made itself known with a largely symbolic gesture of voting "uncommitted" during the presidential primary.

But as pressure mounts on Biden over his age, the Abandon Biden movement says its rejection of the president has nothing to do with how old he is.

"We will not support him no matter what; even if he calls for ceasefire, we will not support him," Farah Khan, the co-Chair, Abandon Biden Michigan. "We feel betrayed that he took our vote. Biden took our vote, and he just stabbed us in the back."

With all signs pointing toward a neck-and-neck race in November between Biden and Donald Trump, it's Michigan that will be one of the key states to decide who wins president.

And voters in Dearborn, which is home to the country's largest group of Arab American citizens, could be influential in which way the state tips in the coming months.

In 2020, Dearborn voted three-to-one for Biden, helping him carry the state by 154,000 votes. He may be hardpressed to score those margins in November.

"We feel that it is impossible for us to reward a president who would then continue to murder our parents, our families, and friends," said Salam.

"We are for cease fire. We are for pro-life. We are for justice. We are for equal human rights. Whichever candidate shows this - their moral values align with Abandon Biden moral values," Khan said. This is what we stand for."

The Abandon Biden group is also no fan of Trump. But whether they switch their vote for a Republican remains to be seen.