A video circulating on social media shows a group of Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters in Philadelphia telling Jews to leave, with one protester calling them the “Synagogue of Satan.”
The video, which was taken on October 27, shows the person filming approaching three Jewish men — two of whom are wearing kippot — and stating, “Amalek. Amalek. What y’all doing down here? You don’t live here!”
Amalek is a likely reference to the ancient Amalek tribe, the first enemy of the ancient Israelites, according to Jewish Virtual Library.
One of the Jewish men says they don’t live too far away from the protest; another says they’re there “to show solidarity.” Others can be heard saying “this ain’t your fight” and “get the f— out of here” to the Jewish men. One individual in a mask can be seen pushing one of the Jewish men.
As the Jewish men walk away, the man filming the encounter can be heard saying, “Philly waking up! Revelation 2:9 Synagogue of Satan!”
https://twitter.com/KittyLists/status/1321340465724026880?s=20
Various Twitter accounts condemned the filmed encounter as anti-Semitic.
“40 years of Farrakhan’s @LouisFarrakhan themes of poisonous Jew hatred now embedded among young protesters,” the Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted. “Synagogue of Satan, denial that we are real Jews. Political leaders, media silent.”
40 years of Farrakhan’s @LouisFarrakhan themes of poisonous Jew hatred now embedded among young protesters Synagogue of Satan, denial that we are real Jews. Political leaders, media silent. https://t.co/jDvOmSudB4
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) October 28, 2020
Yaacov Behrman, who does public relations for Chabad Lubavitch and the public safety chair for a local Democratic Party district committee, similarly tweeted, “Orthodox Jews violently attacked by mob @ BLM protest last night in Philly. They told protesters they were there to show solidarity. Mob shouted anti Semitic & racist hate as they assaulted victims. Spoke to victim, says he feared for his life. This needs to be condemned by all!”
Orthodox Jews violently attacked by mob @ BLM protest last night in Philly. They told protesters they were there to show solidarity. Mob shouted anti Semitic & racist hate as they assaulted victims. Spoke to victim, says he feared for his life. This needs to be condemned by all! pic.twitter.com/oAY2kSaqM4
— Yaacov Behrman (@ChabadLubavitch) October 28, 2020
Liora Rez, director of the Stop Antisemitism.org watchdog, said in a statement to the Journal, “From the Civil Rights Movement to Ferguson to today’s BLM protest nationally, Jews have been right by the side of the African American community. This physical and verbal assault is a spit in our faces and we demand this be addressed by the likes of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and the NAACP. We have enough division in this country, the African American leaders need to step up and denounce this immediately!”
The protests occurred after police shot and killed 27-year-old Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man, in front of his family. Video footage shows Wallace holding a knife and starting to walk toward a couple of officers before the police officers fire their weapons at him. Wallace’s family has said that he suffered from mental health issues and that an ambulance was called first before the police were called.
Shaka Johnson, the Wallace family attorney, told CNN, “The officers did not have what they needed. There wasn’t a less than lethal option available. They didn’t have Tasers. A person is in mental decline and in crisis.”
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw told a local ABC affiliate, “Every police officer is not issued a taser at this time. We requested additional funds so we could continue to outfit our officers with tasers.”
