Free Republic

Anti-Israel activists at the University of Pennsylvania vandalized the Benjamin Franklin statue on campus to protest against the school’s connections to the Jewish state. The group Up Against the Occupation, or (u)PAO, posted pictures to Instagram on Thursday showing a statue of the American Founder doused in red paint. The group called the statue “a symbol of imperial violence and colonialism.” The organization wrote that an “autonomous group” had “poured red paint over the statue” as a “visual reminder of the over 186,000 martyrs and the university’s complicity in genocide.” The group wrote: “Penn, your hands are red,” and condemned...

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WDTN) — Wednesday evening in Springfield, community members gathered in peaceful protest of the false claims about Haitians. On Park Road in Springfield, there was a parade of residents showing that hate has no home in the city. Signs displayed messages to the Haitian community that they have support. “Especially us as Haitians… we need unity here. We need a Springfield united. So this sends out a big message. For those who have been spreading false information, now they can see we are not bad people,” said Jacob Payen, Haitian Community Alliance spokesperson. That support is reaching the...

The two Georgia election workers defamed by Rudy Giuliani are seeking to take possession of his multimillion-dollar homes in New York and Florida and some of his valuable personal property, including three Yankees World Series rings.Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, were awarded $146 million in damages last year after a judge found Giuliani liable for repeatedly defaming them by falsely accusing them of election fraud during the 2020 presidential election. They filed action seeking to get ahold of his properties in federal court in New York on Friday. They argue the move is necessary because, "Mr. Giuliani...

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — More than 100 community members rallied outside the New Haven County Courthouse Wednesday morning in support of the dozens of Yale University students and workers arrested by campus police during a pro-Palestinian protest in April.

A video appeared to capture protesters attacking a man outside the DNC on Monday, which caused an injury under his eye. In the video, which occurred during a broadcast on The Rudy Giuliani Show, the reporter could be heard talking before a fight broke out nearby. “Get an ambulance. We need a doctor over here,” the reporter yelled.

Fiery anti-Israel protests got underway Sunday on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, with demonstrators disrupting a delegate party and one warning, “Welcome to hell week.” Protesters couldn’t wait to confront prominent Democrats over the war in Gaza as hundreds flooded the streets and vowed to “bring the war home,” according to footage across social media. Demonstrations are expected to happen throughout the week as national Dems celebrate the nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, 60. At one point, protesters targeted a delegate party at Navy Pier where...

Currently, numerous pro-Palestine protesters have stormed a Democratic after-party event in Harlem, Manhattan, following Kamala Harris's campaign. The protesters began setting off smoke bombs and causing chaos at the restaurant hosting the event.

Pro-Palestine protesters shut down a major Los Angeles freeway during the height of rush hour, leading California Highway Patrol to detain several protesters. The protest of several dozen individuals, the organizers for which include pro-Palestinian Jewish organization IfNotNow Los Angeles, started at around 9:00 a.m., which is peak rush hour. Protesters, who demanded an arms embargo on Israel and an immediate ceasefire, were largely cleared out by the end of the hour. “LA Jews and allies from @ifnotnowla are sitting on the 405-S freeway in West Los Angeles, observing Tisha B’Av through mourning while demanding an arms embargo on Israel...

Chicago protesters have marched against Israel’s actions in the war in Gaza every weekend since last October. But the task of organizing those protests has been difficult while leaders witness the daily violence from Israel’s attacks, including the killing or maiming of their own family or friends. “We’ve been struggling,” said Deanna Othman, a board member with the Chicago chapter of American Muslims for Palestine. “Nobody expected this to last this long.” This month, they’ll have reinforcements. Demonstrations are planned outside the Democratic National Convention, when the party is expected to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as its presidential candidate....

CHICAGO — He walked down a side street, eyes darting here and there, wondering how it would unfold. “What kind of fences will the police have? Will they bring dogs?” Hatem Abudayyeh asked. He stopped in the shadow of the United Center, home of the NBA’s Bulls and the NHL’s Blackhawks and a draw for tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who are expected to protest against U.S. support for Israel at the Democratic National Convention this month. “I hope they don’t militarize it,” he said. “The first statement the police made was about mass arrests. They’ve backed off a...

The pro-Palestinian activists who disrupted campuses across the nation are plotting their return for the new academic year. Demonstrators say all forms of protest are still on the table, despite the more than 2,000 arrests so far, as students try to figure out a new strategy to demand their schools divest from Israel, among other goals. “What we will see [is] the students will continue their activism, will continue doing what they’ve done in conventional and unconventional ways. So not only protests, not only encampments, kind of any — any available means necessary to push Columbia to divest from from...

A near-week of threats hasn’t had the hoped-for impact for Sir Keir Starmer, who on Monday announced a change of tack with the establishment of a “standing army” to crush riots where they appeared. The Prime Minister, a seasoned lawyer with a usually assured and slick style seemed unsure of his words at times and lacked his normal energy as he spoke to journalists on Monday after he stepped out of a government crisis meeting. Speaking at his official residence and office Downing Street, where it appears a certain degree of bunker mentality has set in — the husband of...

New York University condemned an anti-Israel group on campus that seemed to promote violent “armed struggle” as an appropriate means to support its mission. The NYU People’s Solidarity Coalition (PSC), which was formerly known as the Palestine Solidarity Coalition, posted to Instagram on July 22, stating its commitment to “embrace a diversity of tactics” and to the “de-normalization of settler-colonial entities.” The group also posted a document–which it appears to have since removed–which seemed to condone the use of violent “armed struggle.” NYU condemned the PSC’s rhetoric on Thursday, writing: “NYU condemns the recent posting by the group calling itself...

As back-to-school season nears, students and faculty are preparing to return to campus — and to protests. Pro-Palestinian protesters who wreaked havoc on Columbia University’s campus in the spring have already declared they “will be back.” The fall semester begins Sept. 3. So what is Columbia doing about it? The big picture is unclear. But their initial strategy seems pretty thin. In a July 24 email to students, faculty, and staff, university president Minouche Shafik said her team is “working hard” on fostering community, clarifying rules and defining discrimination in anticipation of the fall semester. “We truly flourish when we...

Anti-Israel protesters vandalized the Columbus Memorial in Washington, DC, on Wednesday in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit. Netanyahu issued an address to Congress as protesters burned American flags and vandalized monuments like the Liberty Bell with painted graffiti: My heart is just broken. pic.twitter.com/z0jkiP8GNY — Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) July 24, 2024 U.S. Park Police said in a statement that a permit was revoked for gatherings in Columbus Circle, the area surrounding Union Station. Crowds were ordered to leave the area. “A crowd in Columbus Circle is engaged in criminal activity and confronting law enforcement on scene,” the agency...

🚨 Breaking: Pro-Palestinian protesters toppled American 🇺🇲 flags near the Congress, and are now burning them while chanting “Burn that sh*t!” and “Allah Akbar” 👇 They are enemies of both America and Israel. pic.twitter.com/dUhVyKCh1L — Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) July 24, 2024

About 200 people were arrested Tuesday during a pro-Palestinian protest in a congressional building the day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address lawmakers. The demonstration, which took place in the Cannon House Office Building, was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace. U.S. Capitol Police said they warned protesters, who were chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, before the arrests began that demonstrating in the building was unlawful. No one appeared to resist arrest. Capitol Police lightly tapped protesters on the shoulder to stand up, arrested them with white zip ties and escorted them out of the building slowly. Stefanie...

A pro-Palestinian organization posted a video Wednesday in which it purported to have unleashed maggots and other critters at Washington, DC’s Watergate hotel, where some of the Israeli delegation was staying. The video showed critters spread out across a table flanked by Israeli and American flags in the background. “Palestine protestors manufactured chaos at the Watergate Hotel last night so that Netanyahu, Israeli Mossad agents, and the Secret Service had no peace as they continue to terrorize our people,” the Palestinian Youth Movement posted on X.

They marched militantly, wielding signs demanding American respect for their Qur’an, which experts say is a manual for warfare against non-Muslims. Among their demands were the enforcement of Islamic law on non-Muslims, the suppression of free speech to comply with Islamic blasphemy laws, and the boycott and eradication of Israel. “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” is code for eradicating the State of Israel and its millions of Jews. The river means the Jordan River, which runs east of Israel’s territory, and the sea means the Mediterranean Sea, which borders Israel to the west. The slogan...

While Americans spent Thursday celebrating the birth of our great nation, pro-Hamas mobs gathered in Dem cities to show how much they hate us and everything we stand for. In cities like Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York, pro-Hamas protestors burned American flags, set off smoke bombs to block people from enjoying the fireworks, and, in at least one case, allegedly physically assaulted a young man wearing the American flag as a cape.