No, this was not your typical Sunday in Center City Philadelphia.
A day that began with a flock of Philadelphia Eagles fans wearing team jerseys in anticipation of their upcoming game with the rival New York Giants quickly evolved into an unforgettable scene in Rittenhouse Square, focused on a different conflict thousands of miles away.
The storied upscale park was the announced focal point for a planned bicycle boycott of local Jewish businesses by a number of anti-Israel groups headed by Philly Bike On Your Left. Protesters said the businesses were Israel-aligned; Jewish community leaders and government officials said the ride was blatantly antisemitic.
Since the protesters’ intentions became public knowledge, the outpouring of support from not only the Jewish community but beyond was overwhelming.
Still, no one was quite sure what to expect at 11:30 a.m., the time the bike boycott was scheduled to begin, including the phalanx of police blanketing the area. “The only information we have is they’re saying 200 bikers,” said Philadelphia police Lt. Paul Watson at 10:30 a.m. as crowds began to swarm the area. “We just have an officer presence to make sure everyone stays safe.”
Verbal altercations, signs supporting both sides displayed
As it turned out, everyone did stay safe, despite several verbal altercations between Israel supporters and pro-Palestinian protesters. The two sides waved flags and shouted insults at each other. “Genocide,” cried out one Palestinian woman, while a man yelled “Jew-hater” in response.
An array of signs filled the top of the square: “Then they came for me,” read one, a reference to the famed Martin Niemoller poem about complicity in the face of the rise of the Nazis. “Stand up Against Hate and Antisemitism” was another. And then this classic: “Curb Your Antisemitism.” At one point, a spontaneous round of “Shalom Aleichem” filled the air.
“I have nothing against Jewish people,” said one man in the midst of working on a poster tagged “Israel did this,” which displayed pictures of injured children in Gaza. “We love Jewish people. I have lots of Jewish friends.”
Rick Zeitelman, himself on a bike while wearing a shirt supporting Israel, responded: “Israel is a democratic country that has Muslims in government and in the court system.”
He continued, “They gave back Gaza unilaterally in 2005. Instead of building a community for their people [Hamas] decided to build rockets, and military, and tunnels. Ultimately that led to their brutal attack on 10/7, murdering, raping, mutilating thousands of Israelis.” Hamas-led invaders killed 1,200 people, abducted 251, and wounded thousands in their raids in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The bikers arrived a bit behind schedule.
Police guided them, many wearing masks, toward the back of the square as the crowd jeered.
“Take off your mask!” “Show your face!” counterprotesters shouted as the bikers passed by. “Shame!”
Some tried to engage verbally but were met with resistance as the police, who ringed the area, kept things from escalating.
Once they left Rittenhouse Square, the bikers’ plan was to ride past the Jewish restaurants and businesses they were targeting. High on their list was Huda, a sandwich shop two blocks away.
As they approached, counterprotesters packing both sides of the street delivered traditional Philadelphia boos.
Business owner instructs counterprotesters on safety, thanks them for support
That warmed the heart of Huda co-founder Dan Berkowitz. “I appreciate this show of support. It’s literally overwhelming.”
Holding a microphone to instruct the masses on how to stay safe, Berkowitz commented, “To see this division in this country that is founded upon people being able to express different opinions just makes me sad.”
He added, “Nobody wants innocent people to die. I don’t care where they’re from. I don’t care who they pray to as long as they’re innocent, peaceful people.”
That’s how this atypical Sunday in Center City Philadelphia came to an end, with over 1,000 men and women, Jews and non-Jews alike, letting the bikers know in no uncertain terms to take a hike.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.