The press is reporting that the anti-Israel protests at the Chicago convention are underwhelming, but that doesn’t capture what’s really going on. The protests we’ve watched are designed to get the attention of the public and Democrats inside the hall, and on that point they’re succeeding.
On Tuesday night hundreds descended on the Israeli consulate with chants of “Intifada, Intifada, long live the Intifada” and signs blaming the Democrats in Chicago for “genocide” for supporting Israel against Hamas. “Democrats drop bombs and faux promises,” one sign said. “Wanted for International Terrorism: Joseph ‘Genocide Joe’ Robinette Biden,” said another.
Protesters also went after the Chicago Police Department, which was keeping order at the event. “CPD, KKK, IOF, they’re all the same,” activists shouted at the hundreds of officers in riot gear. IOF is protesters’ acronym for what they call the “Israeli Occupation Forces,” as opposed to the real Israel Defense Forces. On Monday a protester near the convention wore a F— ISRAEL T-shirt featuring a swastika.
Jewish counter protesters set up at the other end of the block at the consulate, waving U.S. and Israeli flags and singing the Israeli national anthem and God Bless America. “Same old story, same old news, they just want to kill the Jews,” they chanted. When anti-Israel protesters advanced on them, officers lined up eight rows deep and around the perimeter to prevent clashes from escalating.
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