NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Tensions erupted in a Philadelphia neighborhood on Sunday after a bike ride organized to boycott several Jewish-owned restaurants sparked a massive backlash from the city’s Jewish and pro-Israel communities.
The “boycott” targeted at least six restaurants in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square, calling them “Zionist establishments” and calling on them to leave, according to the pro-Palestinian group Philly Bike On Your Left, which organized the event.
As cyclists rode through the streets waving Palestinian flags, hundreds of members of the Jewish and pro-Israeli community opposed the demonstration, with heated exchanges taking place several blocks away. Dozens of diners also lined up outside the targeted restaurants in a show of solidarity with Jewish businesses.
The boycott also drew sharp criticism because it came on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 Nazi pogrom against Jews in Germany and Austria marked by widespread anti-Jewish violence, including attacks on homes, synagogues and businesses.
A pro-Palestinian protester walks alongside cyclists during a boycott demonstration in Philadelphia. (WTXF)
PHILADELPHIA ‘BOYCOTT RIDE’ TARGETING JEWISH BUSINESSES WILL BE CONDEMNED BY CITY AND STATE LEADERSHIP
Philadelphia police told Fox News that at least three people were arrested in connection with the protest, including a woman charged with assault, a man charged with disturbing the peace and a 17-year-old man charged with assaulting police.
Meanwhile, a counter-protester said she was attacked by an unknown person.
Two police officers were also slightly injured during the arrest of an individual, according to the media. Neither required medical treatment.
No property damage was reported and conditions returned to normal by late afternoon, police said.
Police said about 500 people participated in total, including about 300 pro-Palestinian protesters, 200 of them on bicycles, and 200 pro-Israeli counter-protesters.
Clashes between anti-Israel agitators and NYPD officers NEAR SYNAGOGUE
Videos circulating on social media showed protesters and counter-protesters calling out to each other.
In one video, a restaurant displayed a Palestinian flag next to a sign reading “No public toilets” on its front door.
One man confronted the restaurant on camera, accusing it of sending the message that the Jewish community was not welcome.
Hundreds of people filled the streets of Philadelphia in a protest targeting Jewish restaurants. (WTXF)
The demonstration, organized at the end of October, targeted six companies whose owners were accused by the organizers of being “Zionist business owners”.
“We see them for the disgusting humans that they are,” the group said.
“There are business owners in our community who have raised funds for the Israeli military, hosted Israeli soldiers, been praised by Benjamin Netanyahu, or expressed support for Israel,” the group added.
The protest prompted the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia to call for a counter-protest in early November.
A counter-protester waving an Israeli flag yells at cyclists during the Philadelphia boycott. (WTXF)
GERMAN OFFICIALS WARN ISLAMIST AND FAR-LEFT RHETORIC CAUSING SPIKE OF ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS
“This is anti-Semitism. This is hatred of Jews, pure and simple,” the organization said.
“This hike comes on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, November 9-10, 1938, when Nazi-organized mobs destroyed thousands of Jewish businesses, homes and synagogues in Germany and Austria, while thousands of Jews were beaten, assaulted and sent to concentration camps. The public targeting of Jewish businesses should alarm anyone of conscience. We cannot allow such hatred to become normalized in Philadelphia.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Organizers, however, pushed back against criticism, saying their ride had been “grossly misrepresented” and describing themselves as a non-violent social cycling group.
Gn headline
