Clashes erupted in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn on Wednesday evening as anti-Israel protesters gathered to demonstrate against an Israeli real estate event. The protest, organized by the group Pal-Awda and supported by 30 other organizations, drew hundreds of participants who were met with counter-protesters and local Jewish residents.
The confrontation began around 5:30 p.m. and continued until approximately 9:00 p.m., with police struggling to maintain order and separate the opposing groups behind barricades. Videos circulating on social media captured moments of violence, showing Jewish individuals being assaulted by some of the demonstrators. Protesters chanted slogans such as “Settlers go back home, Palestine is ours alone” and “Zionists go to hell,” while also hurling insults at residents, including children.
Tensions were heightened by the recent escalation of violence in the region, particularly following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israeli civilians, which was referenced in the protesters’ calls to “stop the sale of stolen land.” The protest was framed as a response to ongoing Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank, with Pal-Awda’s social media posts urging supporters to oppose what they described as the sale of land taken from Palestinians.
Amid the chaos, law enforcement made several arrests, including one individual for driving recklessly near the crowd and another for assaulting a 61-year-old man. Local officials condemned the violence, with New York City Council Minority Whip Inna Vernikov labeling the protesters as “antisemitic, anti-American, terror-loving” individuals, accusing them of attacking Orthodox Jews under the guise of protesting a land sale.
Counter-protesters, organized by the Jewish group Betar, emphasized the importance of defending their community. Betar’s leaders expressed pride in their members for standing up against the anti-Israel demonstration, stating that they prevented what they described as a planned attack on local synagogues.
Rep. Ritchie Torres commented on the violence, suggesting that it was a predictable outcome of the “Free Palestine” movement, which he claims does not genuinely seek to liberate Palestinians from Hamas. The events of the evening have sparked a broader conversation about the rising tensions and divisions within the community, reflecting the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its impact on local dynamics.
As the dust settles on this confrontation, the community remains on edge, grappling with the implications of such protests and the increasing polarization surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.