State and local leaders have strongly condemned a protest planned for this weekend in Philadelphia targeting Jewish-owned businesses, calling it anti-Semitic and unacceptable.
Several local activist groups promoted the protest, which is expected to take place Sunday in the form of a bicycle “boycott ride” past Jewish-owned restaurants in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. The lead organizer, Philly Bike On Your Left, describes himself as “anti-Zionist.”
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said the boycott, called on the eve of the 88th anniversary of the Kristallnacht (Krystal Night), is “deeply disturbing.” The Kristallnacht was a series of riots organized by the Nazis in which synagogues were burned, Jewish businesses and homes were vandalized, and Jews were assaulted, murdered, and imprisoned in concentration camps in Nazi Germany.
“The rally, which is disguised as a protest to advance the cause of justice, is nothing more than blatant anti-Semitism designed to intimidate and drive Jewish businesses out of our communities,” according to a statement from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office. “There is no place for that in our Commonwealth.”
Shapiro’s office reported that the Pennsylvania State Police is “collaborating with our local partners to ensure the safety and well-being of our neighbors in Philadelphia.”
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker declared that everyone has the right to peacefully protest, “but singling out businesses because their owners are Jewish is unacceptable and has no place in our city,” according to a statement posted on social media.
The organizers of the boycott round mention six restaurants that, according to local authorities and Jewish organizations, are managed by Jewish owners.
“Ride through Rittenhouse with us as we show these Zionist business owners that we see them for the despicable human beings they are,” reads a post from Philly Bike On Your Left, the lead organizer of the protest. “We will mobilize as many bicycles as we can and show our solidarity with the Palestinian community and with oppressed people everywhere.”
Philly Bike On Your Left maintained its plans to hold the shoot despite what it described as a “flagrant misrepresentation” of its intentions, according to a statement sent to CNN and posted to its Instagram account early Saturday morning.
Defining itself as a “non-violent social cycling page,” the group claimed to be “firmly against racism and oppression in all its forms, including fascism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and colonialism.”
“Let us be clear: the reason we are calling for a boycott of these businesses is their support of Israel,” the group’s statement said.
The group also referred to the timing chosen for the protest, scheduled for the eve of the anniversary of the Kristallnacht (Krystal Night), on the night of November 9. The statement noted that the group organizes its tours based on the participants’ schedules.
“The Palestinians need our support now,” the statement stated. “Any insinuation about the timing chosen for our march is simply false.”
Previously, the group Philly Bike On Your Left had shared a post from another activist group, arguing that criticism of the demonstration “maliciously confused Zionism with Judaism” and that invoking the Kristallnacht It constituted a “cynical approach.”
Some of the businesses mentioned in the group’s brochure had been the subject of protests before.
In 2023, protesters gathered outside Goldie, a falafel establishment near Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. The establishment is co-owned by chef Michael Solomonov—born in Israel and raised in Pittsburgh—who is also co-owner of CookNSolo Restaurants, a company that operates several restaurants in the area.
This rally was part of a larger protest organized by another group, which declared “demanding a complete end to the siege of Gaza and the complicity of the United States with Israel.” At that time, protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans such as: “We accuse you of genocide.”
That demonstration also drew swift condemnation from the Biden administration and state and local authorities.
CookNSolo declined to comment on the protest planned for this weekend.
Local pro-Palestinian groups issued a joint statement late Friday expressing support for the boycott bike ride planned by a “group of cyclists.”
Jonathan Greenblatt, executive director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), called the planned protest “absolutely vile.”
“This is anti-Semitism disguised as activism. It is Jew-hatred, plain and simple, and should outrage anyone with a conscience,” he said in a social media post.
The attorney general stated that the boycott “is not simply a protest directed against Israel’s policies; rather, it singles out our fellow Pennsylvanians for their Jewish identity, attacking them because of their faith for policies they have no relationship with or ability to influence.”
The mayor announced that the Philadelphia Police Department will be present to “maintain security and order” during the demonstration, adding: “Anyone who engages in threats, intimidation or illegal conduct will be held accountable.”
One of the region’s largest Jewish congregations encouraged its members to stay away from the crowds at Rittenhouse and instead gather Monday to commemorate the Kristallnacht (Kristallnacht) at the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza.
“As a small, fringe anti-Semitic group plans to demonstrate on Sunday with a bike ride to boycott Jewish businesses, I want to propose a way to respond that does not give anti-Semites the attention they seek, that reduces the risk of violent confrontation, that supports peace for Jewish businesses, and that allows us to stand firm as Jews in the face of those who hate us,” Rabbi Jill Maderer of Congregation Rodeph Shalom wrote on social media.
Source: cnnespanol.cnn.com
