Lockheed’s Taiclet Heckled By Protesters at Boston College Event

(Bloomberg) -- Lockheed Martin Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jim Taiclet faced interruptions and heckling during a speech at an event hosted by Boston College on Wednesday.

Most Read from Bloomberg

• How Americans Voted Their Way Into a Housing Crisis

• Housing’s Worst Crisis in Decades Reverberates Through 2024 Race

• For Tenants, AI-Powered Screening Can Be a New Barrier to Housing

• After a Record Hot Summer, Pressure Grows for A/C Mandates

• Chicago Halts Hiring as Deficit Tops $1 Billion Through 2025

A group of activists burst in about 30 minutes after Taiclet took the stage at the Boston Harbor Hotel, criticizing Lockheed’s role in providing weapons for Israel in the war in Gaza and the defense contractor’s impact on the environment.

Taiclet, who had just started taking questions from the audience, sat calmly while the protesters yelled and waived banners and the crowd waited for police officers to arrive. Some of the attendees booed the protesters.

“I’m a Gulf War veteran and this is OK. That’s what we fight for,” Taiclet said.

The disruption lasted nearly 10 minutes, with police eventually intervening. By that point, the event’s organizers had ended the presentation and most of the attendees — a mix of local business people — had dispersed. At least one protester was seen being handcuffed and walked out.

The incident is part of a broader wave of activism targeting defense contractors. Earlier this year pro-Palestinian groups led protests on college campuses across the US, calling for the schools to divest from Israeli-linked companies and weapons makers like Lockheed, Boeing Co. and Raytheon Co.

The event on Wednesday was part of the Boston College Chief Executive Club’s marquee program, hosted by the Carroll School of Management, according to the website. The club organizes several luncheon meetings each year, attracting an audience of executives from top New England organizations.

The group of protesters identified itself as “Climate Defiance” and its members didn’t advertise any affiliation with Boston College.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

• EV Leases Go as Low as $20 a Month to Help Dealers Clear Their Lots

• China Can Avoid Japan’s Lost Decades If It Follows Korea’s Path

• The Covid Pandemic Left an Extra 13 Million Americans Single

• US Oil Boom Turns Kamala Harris Into an Unlikely Fracking Supporter

• Putting Olive Oil in a Squeeze Bottle Earned This Startup a Cult Following

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.