Pro-Palestinian protesters called on Hamas to strike Tel Aviv and displayed pro-terrorist signs at a Land Day demonstration in New York on Saturday.
"Abu Ubaida, our beloved," chanted the crowd led by Within Our Lifetime (WOL) organizer Abdullah Akl. "Strike, Strike Tel Aviv."
#freepalestine #withinourlifetime pic.twitter.com/ucAiTdEmpo
— Within Our Lifetime (@WOLPalestine) March 30, 2024
The chant harkens back to slogans used during the first Gulf War calling on then-Iraq leader to strike Tel Aviv with Scud missiles.
WOL leader Nerdeen Kiswani explained to followers at the protests that Gazan terrorist organizations had specifically mentioned the demonstrations by supporters in New York City.
"They are leading the fight for freedom," said Kiswani. 'The least we can do is elevate this fight and bring their message to the world."
In the videos posted of the protest by WOL, signs at the Zucotti Park and city hall demonstrations can be seen proclaiming "victory to the Palestinian resistance," and a banner extolling Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine secretary general Ahmad Sa'adat. Another banner called for resistance "by any means necessary.
"There is only one solution, Intifada revolution," Akl said in another chant he led.
#freepalestine #withinourlifetime pic.twitter.com/ucAiTdEmpo
— Within Our Lifetime (@WOLPalestine) March 30, 2024
Earlier in the day, protesters can be heard singing "Long live the Intifada."
Intifada, intifada! Today, on Land Day, we commemorate the sixth anniversary of the start of The Great March of Return! Still outside City Hall pic.twitter.com/hE039259Qy
— Within Our Lifetime (@WOLPalestine) March 30, 2024
In an online promotion featuring the red triangle used in Hamas propaganda to denote the targeting of an enemy, WOL said that they would protest until their demands were met.
"Lift the siege on Gaza, end the occupation in Palestine, right of return for all Palestinians, liberation for Palestine now," said WOL.
The Anti-Israel group's demands
The anti-Israel protest group demanded that the New York Police Department redistribute its funding to local communities, dismantle its Strategic Response Group, and remove the National Guard from the NYC subway system. The group said that it wanted the city not to send funds to Israel and that the US government end weapons sales to Israel and close the seaport for humanitarian aid to Gaza. Mayor Eric Adams was called on to resign, and WOL said he should be charged with sexual assault and negligence and for local companies "involved in genocides in Palestine, Congo, Sudan" to be sanctioned. The group also called for lowered rents and empty apartments in the city to be used to house the homeless.
The rally commemorated the Palestinian national holiday against Israeli state land appropriations and the 6th anniversary of the March of Return riots.
"Honoring our ceaseless anti-colonial struggle, we affirm on Land Day that the fight for Palestinian liberation is a fight to free every inch of the land from the river to the sea," WOL wrote on Telegram.WOL was heavily involved in protests of US President Joe Biden's Thursday fundraising event.
“Down with the USA,” chanted protesters in a video taken by independent journalist Brendan Gutenschwager. “[Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, you will pay, [Izz ad-Din] al-Qassam [brigades] are on their way."
WOL has been organizing anti-Israel protests in the US with increased ferocity since the October 7 Massacre, led by the organization's head, Nerdeen Kiswani.