NASHUA, New Hampshire — A pair of protesters disrupted Joseph R. Biden’s rally at a Girls Inc. center by yelling accusations that he “touches little children.”

From the crowd of about 300 people, a man called out, “You can’t touch little children.”

After security escorted him out, a second man began yelling accusations such as “you can’t touch them.”

Their remarks were described by realtor Marie Johnson, 77, who was standing nearby the men. She said joined in with the crowd shouting down the men by chanting, “We want Joe!”

Mr. Biden, a former vice president and top contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, has been criticized for being handsy and overly friendly with women. In gestures of affection, he frequently touches, hugs and kisses women and girls in public settings.

He previously apologized for making some women uncomfortable but denied wrongdoing.

Mr. Biden said the protesters were the ones with a problem.

“This is why I’m running,” he said. “We’ve got to stop this.”

He has made restoring civility a theme of his campaign to challenge President Trump.

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