An anti-Israeli demonstration held last night (Wednesday) in one of New York's Jewish strongholds, Boro Park, deteriorated into physical violence by the protesters, who were chanting, “settlers go back home, Palestine is ours alone,” “Zionists go to hell,” and “We don’t want no Zionists here.” Most wore masks or keffiyehs to cover their faces.
In response to the protest, dozens of pro-Israel protesters gathered in the area, waving Israeli flags.
A short time later, a violent fight broke out when the anti-Israeli protesters began attacking pro-Israeli protesters and other Jews who were passing by the area.
As the anti-Israel group headed toward a subway station, NYPD Deputy Chief Richie Taylor, the highest-ranking Orthodox Jewish police officer in the city, urged neighborhood residents to not follow them any longer.
“There’s no reason for it. They’re leaving,” he told a crowd of young men.
The protest was widely condemned by New York political leaders before it took place.
“This ‘protest’ is targeted harassment aimed at a neighborhood with one of the highest populations of Orthodox Jews in the US,” said New York Democrat Representative Daniel Goldman. “To harass and intimidate Jews because of the actions of Israel is textbook antisemitism. True progressives must speak out against this hate.”
Congressman Richie Torres, representing New York's 15th district, condemned the attack: "It should come as a shock to no one that the pro-Hamas mob targeting Jews and promising to ‘flood’ Boro Park has descended into violence. Violence is not a bug but a feature of the so-called ‘Free Palestine’ movement, which has no desire to free Palestinians from Hamas."
New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov said that she and her staff are in touch with the residents of Boro Park, where antisemitic, anti-American, terror-loving, Hamas-supporting lunatics violently attacked haredi Jews.”