An anti-Israel demonstration in Philadelphia on Sunday drew swift condemnation from local Jewish organizations and state legislators for what they described as violent extremism and antisemitic rhetoric.
The rally, organized by the Philly Palestine Coalition, took place in Rittenhouse Square in the heart of Center City. It was advertised with the slogan “Abu Obeida lives,” a reference to Hudahaifa Kahlout, the Hamas spokesperson killed by the Israel Defense Forces in August.
According to a joint statement from the Philadelphia chapters of the Jewish Federation, Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee, the rally included chants calling for an “intifada,” speakers calling to “keep the Zionist enemy in fear,” individuals openly displaying Hamas flags and effigies of Israeli soldiers depicted in nooses.
One speaker, according to news reports, stated that “martyrdom is a commitment, a principle. It gives life to the movement and carries it forward … our task is to identify tangible, precise ways to attack the genocidal Zionist enemy and actually f**king attack.”
“This was not a metaphor or abstract political speech,” read the statement from the Jewish agencies. “It was explicit incitement for violence.”
“No matter what one thinks of the war in Gaza, nothing justifies celebrating terrorism, threatening violence or terrorizing communities here at home,” it continued. “When extremist rhetoric and symbols are normalized in public spaces, they embolden hatred and undermine the safety and values of Philadelphia.”
Sharif Street, a Democratic state senator and the son of former Philadelphia Mayor John Street, “forcefully” condemned the rally, saying “the small group protesting today may not wield much power in our city, but we have seen time and again the dangers of inciting violence.”
“As an American Muslim, I feel compelled to say that Hamas is a terrorist organization and should be condemned—not glorified,” he wrote. “Anyone calling for violence in the streets of Philadelphia is not advancing peace. They’re setting it back.”
Tarik Khan, a Democratic state representative, stated that “any protest or organization that glorifies Hamas and terrorism has no place in Philadelphia.”
He added that “we support a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we stand for an end to the violence that has taken far too many Palestinian and Israeli lives.”
