Protesters interrupt Buttigieg at Iowa rally

Protesters with a local Black Lives Matter group disrupted an event being held in Des Moines, Iowa, by former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) on Sunday.

Videos showed demonstrators wearing Black Lives Matter shirts being led out by security while chanting “anti-black, anti-poor,” apparently referring to Buttigieg. Earlier, they had engaged in a brief discussion with the presidential candidate from the audience during his speech onstage.

WATCH: Pete Buttigieg was interrupted by Black Lives Matter protesters here in Iowa challenging his record as South Bend Mayor—he told them, “I think your facts are a little wrong, so I’d love a chance to talk with you about it, but I’d like for us to talk about it respectfully.” pic.twitter.com/dYO106Jyzz

— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) January 13, 2020

Pete Buttigieg supporters shouting “USA-USA-USA” over black activists in Iowa.#BlackLivesMatter still drowns them out! ✊

pic.twitter.com/Z0ljdhvqHg

— Tania Singh (@TwinklingTania) January 13, 2020

Protestors from Black Lives Matter are escorted out, after interrupting tonight’s @PeteButtigieg rally in Des Moines pic.twitter.com/BtEOPfCMLy

— Gary Grumbach (@GaryGrumbach) January 13, 2020

It was unclear initially whether the group of protesters was affiliated officially with the national Black Lives Matter organization, as there are no Iowa chapters listed on the organization’s website.

The disruption comes just days after a Buttigieg campaign event in California was visited by roughly a dozen Black Lives Matter protesters, several of whom told the Los Angeles Times they were from Buttigieg’s hometown of South Bend. Those protesters added that their travel was funded by an outside group, though they clarified they were not funded by any presidential campaigns.

Buttigieg’s campaign declined further comment on the protests when contacted by The Hill.