ADL: At Least 39 Anti-Israel Protests in American Cities Following Hamas Surprise Attack

At least 39 anti-Israel protests were held in the United States on Sunday following Hamas’ surprise attack against Israel, according to an Anti-Defamation League (ADL) report. The report also noted that these protests featured rhetoric that “explicitly or implicitly voiced support for the Hamas terror attack.”

The cities in which these protests took place included New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Anaheim. Perhaps the one that received the most attention on social media was the New York City rally, as video showed protesters chanting “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” and “resistance is justified when people are occupied.” A video showed one of the speakers at the New York City rally saying, “our resistance stormed illegal settlements and paraglided across colonial borders” and that “the resistance fired more than 5,000 rockets,” both of which resulted in cheers and applause from the protesters. Another speaker at the New York City protest said, “The media will tell you that yesterday, ‘terrorists’ invaded Israel. But we know that actually what happened is that the oppressed people of Palestine broke out of the open-air prison.”  After they were met by applause, the speakercontinued, “The White House is telling all its mouthpieces to tell us a false story. But we know that the real terrorist is the Israeli state that has been murdering, massacring, separating, displacing, torturing, imprisoning the Palestinian people for over 75 years.”

The ADL report also noted that the New York City protest also featured chants of “smash the settler Zionist state!” and that one protester held an image of a swastika on his phone. Another held a sign listing the attack as part of the “Zionist nightmares”; the sign also said, “Long live [the] intifada.” The New York Post reported that a fight broke out after pro-Paletinian protesters set an Israeli flag on fire, which resulted in three arrests. It was not immediately clear if those arrested were pro-Palestinian protesters or pro-Israel counterprotesters.

The rhetoric at the New York City protest prompted Mayor Eric Adams (D) to post on X, formerly known as Twitter: “At a moment when innocent people are being slaughtered and children kidnapped in Israel, it is disgusting that this group of extremists would show support for terrorism. I reject this. New York City rejects this. Do not use our streets to spread your hate.”

The American Jewish Committee also posted on X regarding the New York City protest: “Let us be clear: Anyone supporting Hamas’ assault on Israel is supporting their war crimes, slaughter, and kidnapping. Not to mention many innocent Palestinians in Gaza are suffering as a result of Hamas. This is not a Palestinian cause. This is a Hamas terrorist cause.”

The anti-Israel protest in Washington, D.C. also featured chants of “resistance is justified when people are occupied,” “there is only one solution intifada revolution,” and “they’ve got tanks, we’ve got hang gliders, glory to all the resistance fighters,” according to video posted to social media. The ADL report noted that the D.C. protest featured a speaker who said regarding the Hamas attack, “make no mistake, we are in celebration” as well as a speaker that said, “Zionism is deeply ingrained into our education systems, and we must do everything we can to combat it.”

That rhetoric was heard at other anti-Israel protests as well. According to the ADL, a speaker at a Philadelphia rally said, “What happened was freedom fighters fighting for freedom … every person who died yesterday wasn’t innocent. Every Israeli settler by default is a terrorist.” A rally in Anaheim featured a speaker that said, “Our fighters have started to fight back again. Does that mean that we kick our feet back and act like we’re going to celebrate and be happy at this moment? No, we continue the struggle because … people in Gaza right now are fighting so hard. Their lives are at risk and we’re right here in the United States fighting this battle with them, right?” And in San Francisco, a speaker at an anti-Israel rally said, “The intifada lives and Palestine lives!”

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt posted on X  “One day after Hamas launched a horrendous, unprovoked massacre, brutalizing & murdering hundreds of Israelis — including toddlers, teenagers, disabled people, the elderly — anti-Israel rallies nationwide praised the terrorists’ ‘bravery’ and promoted hideous antisemitic tropes.” 

The ADL report only focused on anti-Israel protests in the U.S.; there have also been anti-Israel protests around the world since the Hamas terror attack. Stop Antisemitism posted video to X showing a truck in Canada filled with people holding Palestinian flags and chanting, “Allahu Akbar!” as well as video of pro-Palestinian protesters waving Palestinian flags on the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto; The Toronto Sun published a photo that showed a sign reading, “Honk your horns for Palestine” draped over an overpass. The Toronto Star reported that a pro-Palestinian rally was held in downtown Toronto on October 9 that attracted more than 1,000 protesters and chants of “Free Palestine.” B’nai Brith Canada and others have urged police to stop further pro-Palestinian rallies from being held throughout the country, arguing that “these rallies are showing material support for a terrorist organization” and that stopping such rallies is paramount for “public safety.”

In London, The Daily Mail reported on a protest that featured a Palestinian woman saying to applause: “For freedom fighters to break out of a 15-year blockade so successfully under the inhuman genocide of Israel was so beautiful and inspiring to see. It shows the world that we will always fight and always resist and we need to celebrate these acts of resistance because this was a success. Revolutionary violence initiated by Palestinians is not terrorism — it is self-defense.”

The Australian Jewish Association shared video on X of pro-Palestinian protesters shouting “Gas the Jews!” and “F— the Jews” in front of the Sydney Opera House, which was adorned with blue and white lights in solidarity with Israel.

“Terrorism is to be condemned, not glorified, and the sickening sight of the Hamas flag being flown in cities across America should serve as a wakeup call to anyone who believes that terrorists respect national borders.“
– Stop Antisemitism

“These rallies proudly celebrate the murder and kidnapping of hundreds of Jews, and those who participate are beneath contempt,” Stop Antisemitism said in a statement to the Journal. “Terrorism is to be condemned, not glorified, and the sickening sight of the Hamas flag being flown in cities across America should serve as a wake-up call to anyone who believes that terrorists respect national borders. We cannot allow the violence they idolize to reach us here — if you know someone who participated in such a rally, let the world know. Our collective security requires us to be honest about those who support genocide.”