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What I Saw At The ‘Free Palestine’ March In D.C.
The Federalist ^ | 11/08/23 | SAMUEL MANGOLD-LENETT

Posted on 11/08/2023 7:35:23 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Attendees at the Oct. 4 ‘Free Palestine’ march were more focused on repeating anti-Israel slogans than helping liberate Gazans from Hamas.

It usually takes 10 minutes, 15 at most, to get downtown from southeast D.C. On Saturday, it took over an hour. Traffic was at a standstill, and the metro was overflowing as protesters descended upon the nation’s capital to attend the People’s Forum “Free Palestine” march.

The largest “pro-Palestine” protest in American history was centralized at Freedom Plaza — just a block away from the White House — but spilled into the surrounding areas as thousands of protesters splintered off into dozens of miniature rallies in the side streets. Roads were closed until 7 p.m.

It’s unclear how many people attended the march. Some initial estimates suggested the crowd size would peak with around 20,000 attendees, while activists say it exceeded 100,000. One D.C. police officer said he wouldn’t be surprised if there were “around 200,000 people” in attendance but “had no clue” what the actual number was.

The intersectional and multicultural coalitions were out in full force with “Koreans for Palestine,” “Kurds for Palestine,” “Ecuadorians for Palestine,” and “Queers for Palestine” in attendance.

Image CreditFDRLST

As is the case with every “decolonization” protest, national monuments were defiled. Statues of national heroes such as Benjamin Franklin, Rochambeau, and Gen. John Pershing were covered in Arab keffiyehs (headscarves noting allegiance to Palestinian nationalist movements), graffitied with vulgarities, and had Palestinian flags placed upon them.

In Freedom Plaza, students from the College University of New York Internationalist Club gathered around and atop the statute of American Revolutionary War hero Casimir Pulaski to call for “socialist revolution” in the Middle East.

Demonstrators from around the country demanded President Joe Biden — “Genocide Joe” — end American aid to Israel and called for a ceasefire in the region. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — “Satanyahu” — another target of the protesters’ derision, was likened by some to Adolf Hitler.

Several protesters held signs suggesting that Israel’s retaliation against Hamas for the Oct. 7 attacks is inherently an unjustifiable escalation of violence.

Image CreditFDRLST

Image CreditFDRLST

Event speakers reiterated the crowd’s anger with Biden, emphatically suggesting that Muslims should deny Democrats their votes down-ballot during the 2024 election cycle and led the crowd in chanting the genocidal slogan, “From the river to sea, Palestine will be free.”

One speaker, Nihad Awad from the Hamas-affiliated Council on American-Islamic Relations, said anti-Israel activists should not be “scared” or “intimidated” by “university officials” or “governors” when “they declare that your activism is illegal.” Of course, activism is not illegal, but antisemitic hate crimes and terrorism are.

With great admiration from attendees, speakers repeatedly called for “decolonization” of the Middle East and an end to “Western imperialism” and “settler colonialism” while expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement’s goal of ending Western hegemony.

Among the crowd, calls for “intifada” and “revolution” were common, while young children were handed megaphones by their parents to lead smaller groups in reciting genocidal chants.

Image CreditFDRLST

Nazi iconography was also present, as was a fervently anti-circumcision pagan dressed as Santa Clause who emphatically insisted Ashkenazi Jews were actually descended from the Turkic Khazars and, as such, had no claim to Israel.

The protest concluded with a march to the White House, where protest attendees partially scaled the fence, and the crowd chanted the jihadist slogan “Allahu Akbar.”


Samuel Mangold-Lenett is a staff editor at The Federalist. His writing has been featured in the Daily Wire, Townhall, The American Spectator, and other outlets. He is a 2022 Claremont Institute Publius Fellow.


TOPICS: Israel; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 20231007; 202311; 20231104; assault; benjaminfranklin; bigotry; bigots; cair; cancelculture; casimirpulaski; culturewar; decolonialization; franklin; hamas; insurrectionists; intifada; israel; johnpershing; leftwingnuts; nazis; nihadawad; palestine; perishing; protest; pulaski; revolution; rochambeau; socialists; statues; swastikas; vandalism; waronart; waronstatues; westerncivilization

1 posted on 11/08/2023 7:35:23 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Round them all up and put them on the next ship to Gaza.


2 posted on 11/08/2023 7:37:55 AM PST by eyeamok
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To: SeekAndFind

All the Nutz You can dream up
But Santa takes the Cake!


3 posted on 11/08/2023 7:49:26 AM PST by Big Red Badger (The Truman Show)
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To: SeekAndFind

Among the crowd, calls for “intifada” and “revolution” were common, while young children were handed megaphones by their parents to lead smaller groups in reciting genocidal chants.

In other words, there were insurrectionists.


4 posted on 11/08/2023 7:49:55 AM PST by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: SeekAndFind

Throwing objects at the Secret Service and no one got arrested?


5 posted on 11/08/2023 7:58:59 AM PST by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: All

Pieces of sheet - every one of them.


6 posted on 11/08/2023 8:49:33 AM PST by rockrr ( Everything is different now... )
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To: SeekAndFind
The intersectional and multicultural coalitions were out in full force with “Koreans for Palestine,” “Kurds for Palestine,” “Ecuadorians for Palestine,” and “Queers for Palestine” in attendance.

Even the Koreans? I'm disappointed. And Queers? They do realize how traditional islam treats gays don't they?

Lord, it's depressing how many crazies are out there... and some of them dangerous. Is this new to the 21st Century? Or are they just ore visible due to our modern communications?

7 posted on 11/08/2023 8:54:43 AM PST by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized of man)
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To: SeekAndFind
All protesting for Palestine - which doesn't even exist - but none mourning for over 1400 murdered Israelis.
8 posted on 11/08/2023 8:56:15 AM PST by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized of man)
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To: Rummyfan

The intersectional and multicultural coalitions...

I am at the Intersection of old fart and supports Israel.


9 posted on 11/08/2023 8:57:40 AM PST by FlyingEagle
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To: SeekAndFind

I wish all the protestors could get what they want for six months. It would certainly open their eyes... of those that survived anyway.

Or maybe we should offer them a choice of free flights - one, to Tel Aviv, the other to the Arab country of their choice in the Middle East. And note their choices.


10 posted on 11/08/2023 8:58:47 AM PST by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized of man)
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To: SeekAndFind
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — “Satanyahu” — another target of the protesters’ derision, was likened by some to Adolf Hitler.

Their historical ignorance is... flabbergasting.

11 posted on 11/08/2023 8:59:59 AM PST by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized of man)
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To: piasa
Throwing objects at the Secret Service and no one got arrested?

They weren't wearing MAGA hats.

12 posted on 11/08/2023 9:02:02 AM PST by gitmo (If your biography doesn't match your theology, what good is it?)
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To: SeekAndFind

Stupid naive sheep embracing the wolves.

13 posted on 11/08/2023 9:02:18 AM PST by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized of man)
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To: SeekAndFind

Yet, somehow, WE’RE the Nazis. Mental gymnastics.


14 posted on 11/08/2023 10:01:29 AM PST by Tacrolimus1mg (Do no harm, but take no sh!t.)
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To: Rummyfan

That looks like “judge” Engoron in the black button up jacket


15 posted on 11/08/2023 10:04:29 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: SeekAndFind

bump


16 posted on 11/08/2023 12:59:57 PM PST by Albion Wilde (Either ‘the Deep State destroys America, or we destroy the Deep State.’ --Donald Trump)
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To: eyeamok

We want them all inside the Capitol Building to teach the Democrats and Rinocrats what a real insurrection looks like....


17 posted on 11/08/2023 1:04:04 PM PST by cgbg ("Creative minds have always been known to survive any kind of bad training." Anna Freud.)
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