Washington DC: Demonstrators hold signs at a pro-Palestine rally in May 11. Photo by USA/PA Images
WASHINGTON DC (WSAU) – As thousands are anticipated to gather in America’s biggest cities for anti-Israel marches on Friday, city and state officials all over the U.S. and the world have announced that security precautions will be taken.
The demonstrations on Friday coincide with a day when a former leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, called for a “day of Jihad” and urged Muslims worldwide to take to the streets on Friday against Israel and their allies.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated that officials are “deeply disturbed by the message of hate urging violence in our communities” as the NYPD prepares for a sizable protest in Times Square today. New York Governor Kathy Hochul shared Adams’ anxiety, but she noted that there was no information at this time indicating “any active threats,” according to Fox 5.
According to the Daily News, Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov was detained early on Friday for bringing a firearm to a pro-Palestine rally. Vernikov, a Republican who represents Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay, and other nearby neighborhoods, is Jewish and recently obtained a concealed carry gun permit from the state. She has criticized pro-Palestine protesters for holding rallies throughout the city since Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel last weekend.
After threats on social media were made in southern California, the LAPD is also stepping up security on the other side of the country, according to KTLA. In addition to the LAPD, the Santa Monica and Beverly Hills police departments have released statements indicating they are aware of the alleged social media posts and have tightened security at synagogues around Los Angeles County.
“We don’t have credible threats to this area right now, but that doesn’t mean somebody who’s working by themselves may see that and decide to take some action,” LAPD Assistant Chief Blake Chow stated. “We’re really asking everybody to be alert.”
At Columbia University, a Jewish Israeli student claimed that a pro-Palestinian activist attacked him while he was tearing down flyers highlighting the plight of Israelis held prisoner by Hamas.
The student, whose identity was confirmed but who requested anonymity in an exclusive interview with The Daily Wire, stated that the physical altercation erupted after the assailant began taking down the posters bearing the Israeli victims’ faces. The student said that the incident left him with a broken finger and bruises.
“As an Israeli Jewish student, I don’t feel safe going to campus anymore, which was promised to be a safe haven,” the student told The Daily Wire.
According to Reuters, some nations around the world are banning pro-Palestine rallies altogether out of security concerns. On Thursday, French police deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse a banned gathering in support of Palestinians in Paris, as President Emmanuel Macron encouraged the French to remain united and avoid bringing the Israel-Hamas crisis home. France is home to Europe’s largest Muslim and Jewish communities.
Pro-Palestinian organizations have also planned a large rally in London for Saturday, and police say they will be prepared for any potential flashpoints.
Both the United Kingdom and Germany have also taken the unprecedented step of prohibiting the waving of Palestinian flags at public events and gatherings.
The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, Friends of Al-Aqsa, Stop the War Coalition, Muslim Association of Britain, Palestinian Forum in Britain, and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament are a few of the groups organizing the rallies in London, according to the Independent UK. The organizers called for a national march for Palestine, saying, “As we march in solidarity with Palestine and to demand Israel end its occupation of Palestinian land and apartheid rule over the Palestinian people”.
At least 200 hostages are believed to have been imprisoned by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In addition to the “number” of Americans held hostage, whose conditions and locations are reportedly unclear, the Biden administration has stated that at least 27 Americans were murdered in the attacks, and an estimated 17 Americans are still missing at this time.
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