Palestinian Flags Waved At NYC Rittenhouse Protests

Palestinian flags were waved during protests in New York City against the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict on November 19.

Earlier that day, Rittenhouse, 17, was found not guilty on charges of homicide and use of a deadly weapon after shooting three people during the riots in Kenosha, WI in August 2020; two of the three people were killed. Rittenhouse argued he had acted in self-defense. The verdict sparked protests in various cities around the country.

Footage from protests in New York showed protesters waving Palestinian flags and chants of “Free Palestine,” “Intifada Intifada” and “If Palestine doesn’t get justice, shut the system down!” according to the Jewish Press.

Anti-Israel activists co-opt the Rittenhouse verdict rally in New York City and have the crowd chanting for the destruction of Israel and call for armed struggle. pic.twitter.com/VkMIFuasKF

— Ari Ingel (@OGAride) November 20, 2021

The Institute for Black Solidary with Israel (IBSI) tweeted, “The Rittenhouse trial had nothing to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but Israel-haters take every opportunity to exploit any cause for their purposes—whether in city streets, in the halls of national governments, or at the United Nations.” They added in a subsequent tweet that the late Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat started the “systematic anti-Zionist exploitation” of various causes.

This systematic anti-Zionist exploitation began in the late 1960s with PLO leader (and KGB-trained), Yasser Arafat.

Video compilation includes:
“If Palestine doesn’t (get “justice”) shut (the system) down!”
“Free, free, Palestine!”

— IBSI (@IbsiNow) November 20, 2021

“Intifada, Intifada — globalize the Intifada!”

IBSI Founder & CEO, @DumisaniTemsgen discusses these issues in “Zionism & the Black Church” and what IBSI is doing about it. https://t.co/9XI6UJ5A7n pic.twitter.com/DpO9XUKU6k

— IBSI (@IbsiNow) November 20, 2021

Scottish journalist and Zionist activist Eve Barlow tweeted that the Palestinian flag-waving at these protests is “because the woke community believe Jews and Israel to be the main perpetrators of white supremacy. In case you’re confused, that’s what it means. It is sick.”

Palestinian flags are being waved at protests over the Rittenhouse trial tonight. Why is this happening? It is happening because the woke community believe Jews and Israel to be the main perpetrators of white supremacy. In case you’re confused, that’s what it means. It is sick.

— Eve Barlow (@Eve_Barlow) November 20, 2021

Judea Pearl, Chancellor Professor of Computer Science at UCLA, National Academy of Sciences member and Daniel Pearl Foundation President, tweeted in response to Barlow: “Palestinians, unable to promote their victimhood on its own merit, must latch on to other narratives for attention. Who ever heard about a society defining itself by the demise of its neighbor, yet proclaiming itself ‘victim.’”

It is happening because Palestinians, unable to promote their victimhood on its own merit, must latch on to other narratives for attention. Who ever heard about a society defining itself by the demise of its neighbor, yet proclaiming itself "victim".

— Judea Pearl (@yudapearl) November 20, 2021

In a November 22 op-ed for The Jerusalem Post, Social Lite Creative CEO Emily Schrader wrote the Rittenhouse protests were the latest to be hijacked by pro-Palestinian activists, pointing to Palestinian flags appearing at climate change protests and graffiti stating “Free Britney + Palestine” appearing after protests calling for Britney Spears to be freed from her conservatorship.

“The cynical attempts to hijack causes and make them about Palestinians is simply tragedy tourism on the part of anti-Israel activists, not to mention it is disrespectful to the causes they are hijacking,” Schrader wrote. “There’s a difference between showing solidarity and using the publicity of another cause to promote your own propaganda. These anti-Israel activists should not be welcomed in spaces where they cannot show genuine solidarity; these cynical hijackings show their true colors.”