Three Arrested in Philly Protest Ahead of Kristallnacht Anniversary

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On the eve of the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, a protest bike ride and boycott targeting Jewish-owned businesses in Philadelphia led to three arrests and minor injuries to two police officers. The event, organized by the anti-fascist group ‘Philly Bike On Your Left,’ took place at Rittenhouse Square and drew widespread condemnation for its timing and perceived intent.

Protest and Counter-Protest

The bike ride was organized by ‘Philly Bike On Your Left,’ an anti-fascist and anti-Zionist cycling collective, and was scheduled just days before the anniversary of the 1938 Nazi pogrom that killed over 90 Jews and led to the mass arrest of 30,000 others. Critics argued the boycott was an attempt to intimidate Jewish business owners, and massive crowds of counter-protesters and community members showed up to support the targeted businesses.

Arrests and Legal Reactions

During the event, three individuals were arrested, including a man and a woman for disorderly conduct and a 17-year-old boy for assaulting police. Pennsylvania Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday condemned the protest, calling the timing ‘deeply unsettling’ and stating that the organizers were engaging in ‘antisemitic tropes and tactics.’

‘This is not simply a protest directed at the policies of Israel, rather it singles out our fellow Pennsylvanians based on their Jewish identity,’ he wrote on X. ‘That is unconscionable in our Commonwealth which was founded on religious tolerance and unacceptable in a city that prides itself on brotherly love.’

Group Denies Anti-Semitic Intent

Philly Bike On Your Left denied accusations of antisemitism, stating that the boycott was due to the owners’ support for Israel rather than their Jewish identity. The group also claimed they were unaware of the timing of the Kristallnacht anniversary.

Source: OANN

Written by

Connor Davis