Dozens of protesters gathered near the Israeli Consulate General in Manhattan on Wednesday “to support Palestinian resistance and liberation by any means necessary.”
As a dozen police lined up around the area, protesters began calling to “globalize the Intifada”.
Tensions are high in Israel, where Palestinian rioters clashed with police on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.
Several activist groups organized the rally, including “Within Our Lifetime”, “Samoudin” and “the Palestinian Youth Movement”. The organizers declined to speak to New York Jewish Week, which they consider part of the “Zionist media”.
On Tuesday, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish rights group, called on the city to prevent the rally.
There was no violence at Wednesday’s protest.
The participants began with chants, to the sound of drums, with the pro-Palestinian phrase “From the river to the sea”. Other chants included “We don’t want two states, we want everything” and “Israel, go to hell”.
A pro-Palestinian protester burned an Israeli flag and dragged it across the roadway. A man dressed in traditional Orthodox attire joined them in dancing to the flag.
Alex Bauman, of Jewish faith, claimed to be present to observe the demonstration in order to see what is happening with the Palestinian supporters.
“Using terms like ‘Zionist media controls America’ is deeply anti-Semitic,” Bauman said.
“When you replace Jew with Zionist, it’s just as bad,” he added.
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