More than 300 people — some carrying “Bannon = Goebbels” and “No hate in the White House” signs — marched to the headquarters of Breitbart News on Dec. 4 to protest the hiring of the organization’s former executive chairman, Steve Bannon, as chief strategist and senior counselor to President-elect Donald Trump.
In a morning event that was streamed on Facebook live and organized by the progressive nonprofit IfNotNow LA, all walks of life were represented — men and women, young and old, even dogs on leashes. It kicked off at La Cienaga Park in Beverly Hills, a five-minute walk from Breitbart’s headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard.
“It’s our responsibility to do this as Jews,” said Alison Lewis, a professional singer who participated. “Being a people with a history of facing discrimination and genocide, we have to stand up and defend people facing the same threats. As human beings we have a responsibility to each other.”
Trump has drawn criticism for the Bannon appointment. As head of Breitbart, which the conservative media mogul himself described as a “platform for the alt-right,” Bannon oversaw the publication of headlines such as “Hoist It High and Proud: The Confederate Flag Proclaims a Glorious Heritage” and “Does Feminism Make Women Ugly?” Bannon also reportedly made comments to his ex-wife about not wanting to send his daughters to the Archer School for Girls in Brentwood because he “didn’t want the girls going to school with Jews.”
For his part, Trump recently told The New York Times that he’s convinced there’s no reason to worry about Bannon. “If I thought he was a racist or alt-right or any of the things, the terms we could use, I wouldn’t even think about hiring him,” he said.
Still, many of the protesters chanted, “Fire Bannon!” as cars passing through the busy intersection of Olympic and La Cienega boulevards honked approval. Copies of “Revolution” and “Change-Links” — two progressive publications — were distributed on site, and a plethora of “yellow stars,” recalling those used to identify Jews during the Holocaust, could be seen pinned to shirts or appearing prominently on signs.
There was a small but noticeable Beverly Hills Police Department presence on hand.
The weekend protest marked the inaugural public citywide action undertaken by IfNotNow in Los Angeles, which has only been operating in the city for a few months, according to member Shay Roman, 26. IfNotNow has divisions in other major U.S. cities that have been operating since 2014.
The organization is headed up mostly by millennial Jews, and its name refers to a widely known quote by Rabbi Hillel: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, who am I? If not now, when?”
Roman, wearing white-rimmed glasses and a black hoodie, said she was pleased with the turnout and its potential reverberations in other sects of the city’s Jewish community.
“We brought together a diverse and intergenerational group of folks to reinterpret our traditions and resist together,” Roman said. “It was organized by just a handful of us with a lot of others supporting, and I’m so grateful for all the initiative taken. It’s easy to buy into the fear and violence that has been promoted by Trump and Bannon. But standing with a community of Los Angeles Jews and allies gives me great hope that the American Jewish establishment will start waking up.”
Escorted by a handful of police officers, protestors made the short walk to Breitbart’s offices located on the 8300 block of Wilshire. They sang, played tambourines and banged on bongo drums along the way, drawing the stares and video-shooting smartphones of passersby.
“Welcome to Breitbart!” an IfNotNow organizer shouted to the crowd once they reached the offices. The declaration was met with a chorus of boos.
Another IfNotNow organizer read aloud a statement opposing Bannon’s hiring. The speaker applauded several Jewish organizations for their “moral courage,” thanking them for taking similar stances. Those mentioned included L.A. Jews for Peace, the Anti-Defamation League, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, as well as a number of Jewish Federations across the country.
Organizers said that The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles was a notable exception. IfNotNow member Jonah Breslau, 24, expressed disappointment with what they feel is a lack of support shown by that organization.
“We just want our Jewish organizations to join young Jews in condemning through opposition,” Breslau said. “Trump and Bannon have both made pro-Israel statements. Young Jews want to ask major Jewish organizations: Is the [Israeli] occupation above everything else?”
One of IfNotNow’s stated missions is to “be the generation that ends our community’s support for the occupation,” and it has clashed with the organized Jewish community over its approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Federation President and CEO Jay Sanderson told the Journal in a statement that while individuals indicating they were connected to IfNotNow appeared at Federation, they never scheduled a formal meeting to discuss their concerns.
“As of this date, no one has reached out to set up a meeting. Instead, they have chosen to attack important Jewish institutions across the country. I am deeply troubled by this strategy,” he wrote.
“For over 104 years, our Federation has worked tirelessly to support and sustain our Jewish community and to build a strong and vibrant Jewish community for future generations. We make an important statement every day through our essential work locally, nationally and globally.”
Protester Nadine Levyfield, 26, who used to work in the Jewish professional world for Hillel International, said the Bannon hiring is too dangerous to ignore and requires all Jews to form a united front.
“There’s a ripple effect of how organizations aren’t sure how to come out and voice opposition, as they don’t want to say anything that doesn’t reflect the whole community. After all, many Jews supported Trump,” she said. “But concerns about real, present, anti-Semitic rhetoric should outweigh concerns about angering conservative donors. Every person who supports the Federation should be able to get on board with denouncing virulent anti-Semitism. It’s not about partisanship; it’s about not letting terrible people in the presidential cabinet.”
In the closing of the formal portion of the protest, around noon, IfNotNow organizers drew a line with orange chalk on the sidewalk on Wilshire. Over a megaphone they implored everyone to step over the line into a world of love and acceptance. Shouts of “This is the Jewish resistance” and “If not now, when?” rang out.
Demonstrators then stepped over the chalk line and concluded by joining together and echoing a cheer used by fans of the U.S. men’s national soccer team: “I believe that we will win!” n
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